Did I tell you that I have committed to reading and reviewing 264 children's picture books between now and Christmas? Did I tell you that I spent the entire last weekend in heaven, otherwise known as the Texas Book Festival? Did I tell you that I'm working on a lovely post about all the amazing authors I met last weekend, but that there is no way I'll finish that lovely post in time to actually publish it today? Did I tell you that this week was Dress-Up-as-Your-Favorite-Book-Character week at school and that I spent all week helping the 600 four-to-eight-year-olds at my school figure out what character to be and what costume to wear and what book to carry during the parade? I probably don't even have to tell you that I ran out of Transformer books and princess books on Monday and that by Thursday morning, just before the schoolwide Book Character Parade, I was handing children copies of any book that was still left on the shelf, mostly the two hundred Margaret Hillert early readers from 1963, and telling bewildered children there was a princess in there somewhere, there was a superhero somewhere, I was sure of it, just take it with you for the parade....
Yes, I'm a little tired today.
So, just for today, I'm not writing a Sunday Salon. Instead, I'm posting this little video I took of author Kate DiCamillo at the Texas Book Festival, where she tells how she became a writer, because it's a nice little story and you'll enjoy it, while I go back to bed and get some rest....
Love!
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a commitment! I look forward to your post about the book festival :)
ReplyDeleteYes, Sam, it is quite a commitment. Perhaps I will have time to read all 264 books during my stay in a mental institution. Do you think they have a large children's picture book selection in most mental institution libraries?
ReplyDelete264 books from now until Christmas?! Deb, you are amazing! I hope you get some rest today.
ReplyDeleteFabulous! What a week you've had....
ReplyDeleteHere's MY SUNDAY SALON POST and
MY WEBSITE
Yes u do need so e R&R foe sure. Well done for this weekend.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, you have a lot on your plate! That last bit about there being a princess in the old readers somewhere made me laugh. In times of desperation you do what you have to. :)
ReplyDeleteYou have certainly been very busy! Good luck this next week!
ReplyDeleteJust wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a busy week! 264 books! WOW. I have vague notions that I might like to become involved in the Cybils somehow, but 264 of anything is a big disincentive for me. How do you get hold of the 264 books? You don't have to buy 264 books do you?
ReplyDeleteIn years past, I've been a Cybils nonfiction picture book judge. There are roughly 70 nonfiction picture books nominated each year. I've always gotten about half or more free from the publisher and those I've always added to our school library collection. So I'm hopeful that I'll get a nice stack of fiction picture books from the publishers this year. While I await the books from the publisher, I've been busy checking with all the libraries to which I have cards (four large systems, including the enormous Houston Public Library) and requesting all the books I can there. So far, I've read 152, but that still leaves over 110 to go.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of picture books!