Monday – books, life & teachers edition

Thanks to all the Michiganers who made my quick trip to the Mitten State fun and interesting. The conference was HUGE – more than 5000 attenders who had hundreds of workshops to choose from, and I was honored that so many folks came out to hear me mutter and rant.

I spent most of Saturday on planes or in airports. Here is the free Wifi score:

Syracuse airport – three stars – free wifi, plenty of seating
Chicago O’Hare – no stars – wifi connectivity cost $10/day. Boo-hiss. Get with the program, Chicago.
Grand Rapids airport – three stars – free wifi, very nice lady running coffee shop near gate B1

However, O’Hare gets a star for having my favorite airport bathroom.

Saturday night I enjoyed a fabulous tapas dinner with some teacher and librarian friends. After dinner I was interviewed by YA-lit guru and teen-reader advocate Ed Spicer for his teen book group. Ed had a large handful of reader reviews for TWISTED. They liked the book. They really liked it. Yep, I glowed.

The good news about my hotel room was that I was upgraded to a suite because the hotel was overbooked. The bad news was that it was a suite where smoking had been allowed. (Ack. Puke. Ick.) BH wisely suggested I brew a pot of coffee to help with the stench. Great idea, but the management had removed the coffeemakers from all of the rooms in an effort to get guests to spend more money in the coffee shop.

Sunday was a blur of meeting teachers, signing books, talking about books, signing more, and then schlepping back to the airport. I got a chance to hang with Betsy Partridge, which was nice, and to see Marissa Moss again and to meet Wendy Mass. And I ate a lot of bananas, and a sandwich that contained mysterious meat which I probably should have not consumed, given that I could not identify it, but it was on sunflower seed bread which was so good I inhaled it. And I didn’t get sick. So sunflower seeds balance out strange meat products.

The day started with a very nice breakfast (it had real food and everything!) where I met Kristen, Jill, and all the other ladies.

I told everyone at the conference that I will be back in Michigan on book tour: Monday, March 26th, at the Southfield Public Library in Southfield (evening) and Tuesday, March 27th at Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor (also in the evening). I hope everyone in the entire state turns out and they have to call the fire marshal. That would be a good signing.

Be sure to read this wonderful article about teens buying and reading books. (Thanks Shelflife and Bookshelves of Doom for the link.)

Monday – basketball edition

They didn’t pick Syracuse for the NCAA tournament?

They didn’t pick SYRACUSE for the NCAA tournament??

This is an outrage. Excuse me while I lie on my fainting couch a moment.

::curses stupid selection committee::

Other than that, the brackets are intriguing. If things work out well, we’re looking at a Sarah Dessen (North Carolina) vs. Laurie Halse Anderson (Georgetown) showdown for the East regional championship in a few weeks. If this occurs, I think wagering will be required. What do you say, Sarah?

(Syracuse was robbed, man. Robbed. I wonder if Coach Boeheim will make changes to his noon-conference schedule next year.)

I haven’t decided who my Cinderella team is yet. Any suggestions?

Another reason to love Syracuse, NY

is that we have free wi-fi at the airport. Wo-hoo!

Just wanted to say thanks to Notre Dame for an excellent game last night. They played way above and beyond the call of duty, esp. that freshman guard, Tory Jackson, who is my New Favorite Player on Opposing Team. It was one of the best games I’ve seen in a very long time. At the end, Georgetown won and is in the Big East championhsip game for the first time in a decade. 9pm tonight. HOYA SAXA!!!

I am shutting the computer now to do some brainstorming with paper, pen, and large cup of tea. Have a great weekend, all.

Where are my socks?

Packing and last prep for Michigan today. I am really looking forward to seeing Christopher Paul Curtis, Hope Vestergaard, Marissa Moss, Chris Rascha (can’t find a website for him!), Elizabeth Partridge, David Wiesner, Wendy Mass, Gordon Korman, and Mem Fox.

if you are a teacher involved in teaching literacy, reading, writing, or literature to kids or teens, you really should scroll through the Michigan Reading Association conference offerings. There are hundreds of workshops. They do it up right in the Mitten State.

Thank you, Basketball Gods, for the sad defeat yesterday of Syracuse in the Big East tournament because now I don’t have to freak out about a Syracuse vs. Georgetown game. Georgetown beat Villanova (ha! HA!) and plays Notre Dame tonight at 7pm. I will be glued to the screen.

Kirkus review – TWISTED

Thank you, Kirkus, for the very nice starred review:

“Anderson returns to weightier issues in the style of her most revered work, Speak (1999), and
stretches her wings by offering up a male protagonist for the first time. Tyler was always the kind of
guy who didn’t stand out until he spends the summer before his senior year working as punishment
for spray painting the school. His new image and buff physique attracts Bethany-the über-popular
daughter of his father’s boss-but his angry and distant father becomes even more hostile towards
him. Despite the graffiti incident, though, Tyler is a conscientious, albeit confused, young man, trying
to find his way. Unfortunately, his newfound notoriety as a “bad boy” leads to false accusations that
land him-and his father’s job-in hot water. As tension mounts, Tyler reaches a crisis point revealed
through one of the most poignant and gripping scenes in young-adult literature. Taking matters into
his own hands, Tyler decides that he must make a choice about what kind of man he wants to be, with
or without his father’s guidance.”

Yes, this review put a bounce in my step. And then I found out TWISTED has been nominated as a BBYA. That made me fly.

Today and tomorrow are getting ready for this weekend’s trip to the Michigan Reading Association. I love going to Michigan, and am really looking forward to seeing many friends while out there.

Random Thursday Thoughts:
1. Tattoo is healing nicely.
2. It is snowing. Again. At least we won’t have sub-zero windchills today.
3. The Big East Tournament will be playing on ESPN all-freaking-day. And I am supposed to work?
4. I haven’t been to the gym in four days and feel like a slug.
5. Are they ever going to release Season 3 of Deadwood on DVD?