Wendie Old, nonfiction blogger supreme!

My good friend Wendie Old, and one of my fellow panelist for ALA in two weeks (Sunday, July 12 at 10:30 am, see entry below for the room assignment) flattered and humbled me today by quoting me on her blog. I slipped into a kind of self-indulgent moment of zen/bliss on a listserv -- babbled on about how much I love my job, and I do. She felt the same, so she posted the paragraph HERE.

Thanks, Wendie, for honoring me this way and for being my friend. See you soon in Chicago.

Here's to kids nonfiction! It's true magic!

Kelly

ALA, here I come!

I was going to wait to post this until early July, but I can't wait...too excited. I get to be at ALA again this year, again on a nonfiction for reluctant readers panel. This year, it's me and a WHOLE bunch of other good, good writers. If any of you have time on Sunday, sure would love to meet you. And you'll get a great cross section of new titles to consider, direct from the authors that wrote them. Hope you'll stop by. I'm also signing at the Lerner and Sterling booths. BAGHDAD ZOO won't be ready in time from HarperCollins/Greenwillow, but they promise me I'll have an F&G -- maybe. : ) Anyway, here's the "official" ALA website skinny, with our Wiki link (courtesy of Anastasia Suen) added:

SUNDAY 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Convention Center Room W181. (Level 1 of the West Building.) Nonfiction Book Blast: Booktalks for Reluctant Readers
AASL Track: Children & Young Adults; Literature& Collection Development
Wiki: http://nfbookblast.pbworks.com/

Despite the emphasis on fiction for leisure reading in schools, many reluctant readers are often more drawn to reading nonfiction. Expand your nonfiction repertoire as 18 authors booktalk their latest work. Panelists include award-winning and acclaimed authors April Pulley Sayre (VultureView), Kelly Milner Halls (Albino Animals), and Carla McClafferty (Something Out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radium), as well as many additional prolific or brand new authors. Their booktalks, plus new ones crafted by audience members, will be yours to take back home to excite your students about reading nonfiction.

Speakers: Anastasia Suen; JoAnn Early Mackin; Gwendolyn Hooks; Carla Killough McClafferty; Wendie Old; April Pulley Sayre,and more.

MY SIGNINGS WILL BE AT:

12:15 pm – Learner booth
3:30 pm – Sterling booth

Thanks, Elizabeth Bird!

Hey, a big shout-out to librarian/author Elizabeth Bird for featuring SAVING THE BAGHDAD ZOO in her terrific Fuse blog for School Library Journal. She profiled her explorations at the HarperCollins Librarian Preview event, and included the book. THANK YOU E.B. I couldn't feel more honored.

Check it out HERE.

And here's a short excerpt:

"We've been seeing quite a few true life stories coming out in picture book form for kids regarding animals overseas. This one is particularly fascinating. It discusses the push that was made to save the animals in this zoo after America invaded. "

We sure tried to make it worthwhile, Elizabeth. I hope we succeeded, but time will tell.