NCTE/ALAN fun & festivities

Thank you, good citizens of San Antonio, for providing wifi in your airport! I’m sitting at Gate 13, waiting for the plane that will take me to Atlanta, where I will get the plane to take me HOME.

I’m not feeling terribly energetic or articulate right now, but I am so very, very grateful for everything the past month has brought: the people I met on book tour, the opportunity to go on book tour, the incredible teachers and librarians of NCTE/ALAN…. pretty much everything. I’m a gooey puddle of gratitude, spiked with caffeine and apples.

(Does that make any sense?)

I have plenty of pics to share.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic A common sight all conference. I think these teachers are from Kansas.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic This is the first conference where we passed out galleys of my new YA novel, WINTERGIRLS. The smart lady on the right is Joy Peskin, the editor of WINTERGIRLS. You can kind of see the cover of the book behind me. WINTERGIRLS will be published in March and I promise I will blog about it soon. Like when my brain re-engages.

In the mood for more pictures?

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Kathi Appelt, John Green, me, and M.T. Anderson

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Sharon Creech gave a terrific keynote speech – I was honored when she teased me about hating Certain Boring Classics.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Ellen Hopkins was there along with editor Emma Dryden.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic So were David Lubar and Walter Mayes.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic From the right: Tanya Lee Stone, Nancy Werlin, David Leviathan, and my eyes are too tired to figure out the rest.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Joan Bauer was signing PEELED.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Nancy Werlin (please go and read her book IMPOSSIBLE right now, OK?), Greg Smith and the incomparable Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic My dear friend, Sue Campbell Bartoletti, just back from Bangladesh.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic My buddy Sonya Sones, her husband Bennett Trammett (sorry, Bennett if I spelled your name wrong) and their kids, Ava and Jeremy.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Darn, we’re boarding the plane. I’ll leave you with this photo of an awesome dessert (from the Penguin dinner) and promise more later.