Robert's Snow

Robert's Snow for Cancer's cure

Own a piece of art from your favorite children's book illustrator while helping to fight cancer. Participate in Robert's Snow: for Cancer's Cure, a unique fundraiser for cancer research. Since 2004, this online auction has raised over $200,000 for Dana-Farber, and with your help, we can continue this holiday tradition in 2007.

"Robert's Snow" is a children's story about a mouse not allowed in the snow. Children's book illustrator Grace Lin wrote the book, which was inspired by her husband Robert's battle with Ewing's sarcoma. After the book was published, Grace gathered artists from all over the children's book illustrating community to create special snowflakes to be auctioned off, with the proceeds benefiting sarcoma research at Dana-Farber. These snowflake auctions became known as the event "Robert's Snow."

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NESCBWI Writing Workshop

Yesterday, I had the great fortune of attending the NESCBWI Encore workshop.  These were repeat workshops that had been presented at the spring conference but there was so much going on, I didn't get to these.  I was thrilled when I got the message about the repeats.  Mark Peter Hughes, John Bell and Sue Burgess presented at the Encore Workshop in Salem, NH

And what a day it was  I went away inspired and feeling energized.  I grabbed my little tape recorder and dictated all the way home!! Thanks especially to John who listened to my little germ of an idea and helped me flesh it out.  John, I think I got those holes filled in on the way home.  Now it's off to the computer to get it all down.

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Iowa Library Conference

I just returned from the Iowa Library Conference.  What a great conference!  I'm sorry that I couldn't attend the whole thing.  I heard it was quite something.  And very well attended -- over 950 attendees.  What a success!

I arrived late Thursday so missed the live band and the dancing.  But I had the pleasure of riding in from the airport with Steve Abrams.  He is always so fascinating to listen to.  He was key note on Friday as well.  I have heard him speak before, but he always gets me thinking about what I am doing and why I am doing it.  I came away with some new ideas as always.

I spoke at two consecutive break out sessions so didn't get to hear any other speakers.  The luncheon speaker was Jeffrey Kluger who spoke about his new book "Splendid Solution".  Fascinating.

The ride back to the airport was highlighted by Loriene Roy, President of ALA, sharing her "Male Librarians of Texas" calendar with me. What a great idea for a fund raiser.  And those guys are really good sports!

Thanks to the Iowa Library Association for the invitation and thanks to all the wonderful librarians I had the chance to meet.  It was a great time. 

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Booktalks update

I have loaded the October update of Bootalks Quick and Simple.  No, your eyes don't deceive you.  There was no September update.  I have been so busy, I have had no time to read very much let alone update the website.  I have finally finished my BER handbook and put together the finishing touches of some new workshops I'm doing this fall.  I've also finished writing the booktalking course for YALSA.  I got it uploaded just in time for the course to begin on Monday.  I still have to get back to work on the new book but I'm feeling a bit less pressure right now.  I am speaking at the Iowa conference this Friday but then I have no more workshops to do until December. 

But things outside of library land have continued to go crazy.  Yesterday, a tree fell on my son's new car.  He had totaled his car last month and we just got a new to him replacement.  It now has no back window.  I have complained to the city about this tree and they even came out to look at it last week but said it didn't need to come down.  In the past year, one branch fell into the road, another fell into our driveway -- fortunately no cars were there.  But we weren't so lucky yesterday.  I have no idea what will happen.  It is a city tree so hopefully they will pay for the window.  It just missed a man walking his dog.

Well, so much for my long weekend of doing nothing but catching up on my reading. 

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