Sierra Keolanui, Lise Michelle Childers and Allison Benz of Native Books in Honolulu, Hawaii, conferred about their favorite books and quickly reached a consensus “Ke Kumu Aupuni: The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood” by Samuel Mānaiakalani Kamakau.
What began as a slide show three years ago at a community event has turned into a gem of a book about Maui history: “Mā’alaea: The Untold Story of Maui’s’ Historic Crossroad.”
When Maile Meyer first started her own bookstore in the 1990s, she was determined to counter a question she was often asked: Why a bookstore, since Hawaiians couldn’t read?