Oh, Canada! Oh, International Reading Association Conference! Oh my!
If you are in Los Angeles and forget your passport, you can't fly to Toronto.

This didn't happen to me, but it did happen to the pilot of my plane. Sigh. After they found another pilot (with a passport), we finally took off. I was late for my Scholastic dinner, but made it in time for the second course and great conversation with Printz winner and author of EIGHTY-FIVE BOOKS, Walter Dean Myers . . .


The next day I had a reading at the Scholastic Theater, but first Amy Cohn did a terrific booktalk about SO TOTALLY EMILY EBERS. A Korean TV crew was nearby and asked for an interview. They also asked me to say something in Korean. I don't speak the language, but that didn't stop me. (They wrote something out phonically.) I'm not sure what I said, but I do know that they gave me a watch after the taping!

(Above: "But what does it mean?")

Got to talk with author Suzanne Collins . . .

(Above: Scholastic-ite Lizette Serrano, Moi, Suzanne Collins, and Scholastic Royalty, Jacky Harper, hiding somewhere)

Later, I roamed the convention floor picking up ARCs and Newbery winners . . .

(Above: Linda Sue Park tries to steal my necklace.)

Then it was time to give a speech along with Canadian author Julie Johnston.

Afterward . . . baseball! Scholastic really knows how to take care of their authors. They rented a sky box and we watched the birds battle it out. (Blue Jays vs. Orioles.) Sadly, only Sharon Robinson knew what was going on. The rest of the gang asked insightful questions like, "Don't you think they could have picked better colors for their uniforms?" And, "Is that real grass or sod?" And, "How can you tell who's winning?"

(Above: James Cross Giblin, Sharon Robinson, Moi, Brian Selznick, debut author/illustrator Jeremy Tankard, and Susan Campbell Bartoletti)

The next day it was the IRA-CBC Joint Committee "Breaking Down Boundries for Reluctant Readers." It was a panel with eight speakers, and I was the last one up. (I really had to go to the bathroom, but toughed it out. I think it helped my speech because I noticed my voice seemed louder and higher pitched than usual.)

Also on the panel was Professor Nana! . . .


And . . .

(Above: Loren Long and Phil Bildner wearing their everyday clothes.)

Later it was lunch with author pals Alma Fullerton and Brent Hartinger.

(Above: Alma and Brent. Hiding are Elise Broach and Arthur Slade, who I also got to rendezvous with at the conference.)

And now . . . I fly off to to the BIG ISLAND for the Hawaii Book and Music Festival!

-----

I am adding this on as an addendum . . . I AM NOT ON THE BIG ISLAND. That is an entirely different place. Apparently, I am in Honolulu, which is a smaller island than the big one!!!! and the Hawaii Book and Music Festival is here (Honolulu) not the other place!!!!