Tales from the Rushmore Kid

Mountain Plains Library Conference

I was very fortunate to not only attend as a vendor but to present at the Mountain Plains Library Conference in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I had an opportunity to sign my books, do a presentation and basically feel like a star. I love librarians, and the chance to mingle and perform for 462 of them was a thrill. Hats off to South Dakota Library Association President Jan Brue Enright for putting on such a fabulous conference.

I met old friends Suzanne Morgan Williams and Terri Farely there, vendors promoting school visits for the mountain plains authors of the SCBWI. I also made many new friends. I hope to be back in the region to do school and library visits next year.

Mountain Plains Library Conference - Hot Tub Librarians

Librarians are just the best. They are wacky, fun and so surprising. I was dragged to their annual "Hot Tub Meeting" after a long day at the Mountain Plains Library Conference. Being from L.A., I found that a hot tub meeting had a different meaning than I'd expected. These guys dumped around fifty rubber ducky squirt guns into the water, and we took sides and just tortured each other! At one point, YA author Neil Shusterman stopped by, looking for his rubber ducky. What great fun this conference was!

My First ALA

I am having a ball being a published author after all these years. One of  the most fabulous events  I've attended so far in my new role was ALA--the American Library Association conference. Not only did I meet up with buddy authors, librarians  and editors, I was surprised to see my publisher, Lauri Hornik there. It brought tears to my eyes to see my book--yes MY book!--on the shelf with other Penguin Young Readers Nonfiction titles. What a moment for me!

I also finally met, after all these blogging years (5 1/2), one of the Kidlitosphere pioneers, Besty Bird (School Library Journal).  Besty is great and I have enjoyed her blog, Fuse 8.  Here is a photo of me with Barbara Bietz, chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, and Elizabeth Bird.

 

Most Popular Posts 2010 - Librarian of the Day - Eva Mitnick - L.A. Public Library

I was lucky enough to sit with Eva Mitnick at the Golden Kite Lunch honoring children's book authors. I found her funny and  charming. She has a famous kidlit blog, Eva's Book Addiction, and is passionate about children's literature. Of course librarians are my favorite people and I am thrilled that my Librarian of the Day, Eva Mitnick agreed to give me an interview.

When and why did you become a librarian?
 
Because I managed to reach my last year of college without having decided what to do with my life or my somewhat useless double major (philosophy and German literature), my mother's suggestion to go to library school fell on receptive ears.  And as my mother is a librarian herself who practically raised me in various libraries (she even brought me as an infant

Librarian of the Day - Jone MacCulloch - Silver Star School

As part of Kidlitosphere, I am so pleased that many of my fellow Kidlit bloggers are also librarians. They always have an interesting view on books and great ways to help cash-strapped libraries prosper. Today I am interviewing K-5 library media specialist and blogger Jone MacCulloch. 

When and why did you become a librarian?
   

I have always loved reading. I tell my students that my desire to become a librarian began as a child but I didn’t know. You see, I numbered my books so they could be in order.