Texas!

Thank you, super librarian Dorcas Hand, and also to my friend and former teaching colleague Patti Kiley for arranging such a fun visit with Annunciation Orthodox School in Houston.

I was there for their amazing annual BOOK FAIR, with two other authors, Linda Leblanc and Keith Graves. That's a whole lot of organizing and arranging and book sharing going on. Hats off, Dorcas!

Did I mention the FOOD? Which I'm sorry to say, I didn't document nearly enough! (I'm usually much better with sharing food pictures, and we did eat well.)

My two days, in pictures. Wish I'd taken more!

A Scholastic Book Fair like no other.

Student art work, everywhere I looked.

 It's such fun seeing special books and thinking about their authors!

Book Fair Theme- ET, Phone Home!

The parent volunteers worked so hard to make that space eye-catching. In one corner was a reading nook. Sorry I didn't capture in a photo. Every time I turned around, I saw something else I loved!

 

Forgive me for a little librarian nostalgia (for me). 
I got to help move books on a book cart. Hadn't done that in a while, though it used to be an everyday occurrence!

(There was a special table for books to donate to the libraries. Great idea!)


 Always happy to sign books...

Dinner out with teachers at PICOS--http://www.picos.net. 
Delicious! And so many connections made around this table!  

 



I haven't spent a lot of time in Houston. It was very special to connect with old friends. Especially friends who'll take me to see the most fantastic Mark Rothko exhibit at their Museum of Fine Arts.

Thanks, Bobby and Jeannie Moon!

And a trip to Houston wouldn't be complete without a stop at one of my all-time favorite bookstores, just to say hello and check out funny author messages covering their walls! Thanks, Blue Willow Bookshop, for inviting me. Or letting me invite myself. I signed a few books and caught up with old friends.

I'm already excited about a possible trip to San Antonio in the fall. Texas teachers and librarians truly rock!

(only in Texas, right?)

TWEENS READ, Houston

I offer you a quick photo tour of this amazing event. I mingled, I learned, I ate, I talked.
Highlights? Too many to list?
But meeting and sharing the panel with my fellow Debut Writers was up there.
Lynne Kelly, W.H. Beck, Deron Hicks, and me.

Here are our books:

All the authors gathered at the Bobby Shaw Middle School in Pasadena, TX for a full day of kids and books. What could be better.

Here we are being briefed by the amazing Cathy Berner, bookseller extraordinaire, of Blue Willow Books in Houston.

This was where we ate and hung out between sessions. (Did I mention the fabulous food?)

That's Cathy on the right, in blue. Trent Reedy's the tall guy in the back. (Oh, and Cynthia Leitich Smith and her husband Greg- who presented on the Guys Write panel- were also there. Every aspiring author needs to know about Cynthia. Her connectivity is phenomenal. Her advice exhaustive and totally professional.)

But more about the food.

A librarian and her husband made these precious things.

 (for all 21 authors!)

This was in our goody bag. Yes, not really food. 

But it reminded me so much of the little holders my grandmother and her friends slipped over their "co-cola" bottles that I had to share.

Hand knit by a volunteer. 

For a list of all the authors attending TWEENS READ, click here.

Tons of Tweens!

Maybe my favorite quote of the day? Keynote speaker Heather Brewer, on being bullied and finding a safe place in school:
 "Libraries are lined with bully kryptonite!"

I loved the large, spacious, new, heavenly library.

I especially adored this mural's poetry.

I really intended to save my cupcake forever. Really, I did.
I'm glad I took the picture. After going through airport security, it was flattened. But it still tasted amazing. I tried to save the book, at least. However, it also was squished. So of course I had to taste it. (Fondant.)

The cake was Red Velvet. The icing creamy and light. 

I'm sure they made the cupcakes with Emma and Glory in mind...

THANK YOU Blue Willow Books and Tweens Read. An amazing group of volunteer librarians and teachers and booksellers. 

Word to my fellow authors. If anybody ever invites you to a book event in Texas, say yes. 

Don't even bother to ask questions. 

Just go.

If ever you're in Houston...

And don't have uber-guide Bobby Moon and his wife Jeannie?

(pictured, on our brief walking tour, standing in front of the beautiful Chase Bank window)



Here are a few eating tips from the Food Guru of downtown (AKA Bobby J. Moon, my Cleveland High School buddy). Makes me want to hurry back.


1. Hubcap Grill, 1111 Prairie at Fannin....best HB in town! It's the sourdough type custom bun and never been frozen beef.

2. Treebeard's (How did I not know this was the word for Spanish moss)  at Market Square, in Christchurch Cathedral on Texas across from Hubcap Grill. Red beans, rice and smoked sausage... ALL things Cajun and more...Italian Cream Cake...go crazy here!

3. Supreme Sandwiches, Rusk and Milam, next to Subway... handmade sandwich, chips and soda....ask for free lettuce and tomatoes

Eating lunch with Bobby and sharing his Delta Daze yearbook.
Pretty funny pictures in that book...

Bobby brought friends and family to the reading at the fabulous Blue Willow Bookstore.













My Kent Place and Chatham friend, Patti Kiley also made the trek to Blue Willow. Thanks, Patti!

That's my Scholastic/ NJ  friend David Levithan checking out the autographed walls behind us.
I got to put my name way up high on those walls. So exciting to be in these amazing independent bookstores! Love them.

All books are divisible into two classes, the books of the hour, and the books of all time.
John Ruskin

TEXAS, here I come!

I'm really getting excited about next week's TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION  conference.

I'll be on a panel, sign books at the Scholastic booth ( #1518 from 3 to 4 on Wednesday) and have a special opportunity to fire up my acting skills, long since retired (stay tuned for pictures and details, unless I fall on my face).

If you're near Houston and like bookstores, or just want to say hello, please pop into our Wednesday night bookstore event. We'll each do a short intro and then have lots of time to Meet and Greet.

See you there, Houstonians!

7:00, Wednesday, April 18^th

Blue Willow Bookshop: Five Fabulous Authors

14532 Memorial Drive

Houston, TX 77079

(281) 497-8675

Authors Participating:

Jennifer A. Nielson (The False Prince)

Sarah Mlynowski (Whatever After)

Chris D’Lacey (Fire World & The Fire Ascending)

Augusta Scattergood (Glory Be)

Michael Northrop (Plunked)