Final Recap of ALA

I debated how to finish off describing the ALA weekend. I thought of doing a photo blog, but there were just too many pictures. Finally, I settled on this Animoto video below. I hope it gives you a glimpse of the amazing weekend it was.

Also, I only picked up about 15-20 ARCs, ones I knew about already, and have read three so far. Please put the amazing Counting By 7s, Duke, and The Year of Billy Miller on your radar for fall. All three were incredible. 

Words of Wisdom

I’ve been home from ALA for two days now – sleeping over ten hours each day, my body slowly trying to catch up. In that time I’ve had a chance to reflect on the amazing weekend, the people I had the chance to see, and the conversations I had.

As I mentioned in my ALA Slice of Life, Saturday night many of us were lucky enough to head to Elizabeth Fama’s house for the evening. Beth provided some delicious food, space to hang out, and a relaxed atmosphere. There was so much about that night that was special; I sometimes felt like I was staring at the party from the outside looking in, thinking am I really here?

As I walked around Beth’s house, I was struck by the amazing artwork that was present everywhere you look. When I asked her about it, I learned that she has four children, each of which is creative in their own way. They paint, draw, create graphic novels, are amazing cooks, and more. I did meet some of her kids, and they were incredibly kind. They ranged in age from their teens to their twenties. And towards the end of the night, when I complimented Beth on her wonderful kids, she said, “I gave birth to my best friends.”

Wow. What a statement. I think before becoming a parent, I wouldn’t have realized the full impact of that. It is one thing to love your children – I hope all parents do. But to like them? To want to spend time with them? To call them your best friends? I think that is awesome.

Whether she knows it or not, Beth Fama has just become my role model. J I love the creativity she shares with her children, how she values their choice, and the pride in her voice when she talks about them. And that statement? That has already been written down in my writing notebook. I think half of becoming a writer is knowing when to pay attention to what is being said around you. And these words, wise ones for certain. 

This summer I have spent more time away from home than ever in my life, and it has been hard on me. I didn’t realize how much I wanted to be a mom until I became one. For the first four years of being a parent, I was away from Luke – then Liam – for less than ten days. When I was gone, I felt their absence keenly. It wasn’t that I worried about them, but just wanted to be with them.

I am not a mom that dotes on her child’s every whim; I actually don’t do a great job “playing.” I like being there, providing what they need, letting them develop the ability to entertain themselves. I love lying in my room with Luke, discussing the plot of an ARC I brought home for him to read. I love sitting with Liam and writing, side by side, in our writing notebooks. Discussing the use of “and” to start a sentence. (I told him you aren’t “supposed” to, yet I do it often. We call that a craft choice.) I love conversations in the car, cooking in the kitchen, and typing on my laptop as I listen to them play. Today, I watched them run in front of me as we trekked along our route, time flashed. I hope in ten years I can say that we are still this close. I hope they will consider me their friend. I hope we run this route together, that one day I can keep up.

 Thanks for the inspiration, Beth. Who knew I would leave ALA with so much more than I dreamed. 

Slice of Life - Memories from ALA

This past weekend I attended my first American Library Association (ALA) conference. It was held in Chicago, which I figured was one reason to attend. The fact that the Newbery and Caldecott award presentation was occurring sealed the deal – I had to go.

It was interesting to attend a conference, but really just go for the exhibits and dinners, not the sessions. In many ways it was more relaxing. My days weren’t filled with session but my time still filled up quickly. I attended lunches with friends, museum tours (see yesterday’s blog HERE), publisher breakfasts or lunches. I visited the exhibit hall and had the chance to see the amazing books that will be coming out this fall, speak to some of my favorite authors, talk to publishers about the reactions my students have to their books.

The nights were jam-packed. Friday night I had the privilege of attending a party hosted by Walden Pond Press and was able to tell Anne Ursu how amazing I felt her books were, especially her fall release – The Real Boy.

Saturday author Elizabeth Fama was kind enough to host a whole group of us at her house for dinner. It was the perfect location – quiet spots to visit with friends, amazing food, inspiring discussion. Elizabeth was the perfect hostess - this was the first time I had met her or been to her house, but I felt right at home. 

An added bonus was meeting so many wonderful authors there - Laura Golden, Amy Timberlake, Liesl Shurtliff, Elizabeth Dahl, and then Kirby Larson. I've wanted to meet Kirby for what seems like forever. I knew she would be amazing, and she was. Meeting Kirby for the first time was strange in that once we met, I felt like I had known her my entire life. What a warm person. 

Sunday night was the banquet. I wept as I listened to Jon Klassen, Katherine Applegate, and Katherine Paterson accept their awards. All three speeches inspired in a different way. Tears streamed down my face as I listened to their words.

I first began to appreciate Jon’s work with I Want My Hat Back. I’ve driven to Anderson’s to hear him speak before, handed out Christmas presents created in the likeness of his characters, and purchased every book of his I could find. He never fails to great me with a hug when I see him. He has a sense of humor that comes on quietly but leaves me laughing through my tears. Also, what little interaction I have had with him has led me to believe he is the best kind of person: hardworking, kind, loyal. He always talks about the other illustrators who have helped him get where he is, and I like that he honors others. Finally, when he talked about his books as his “little guys” and said how proud he was of them, my heart melted. Such an amazing person. 

Katherine Applegate was an author I hadn’t met, but felt as if I had. I’ve “talked” to her on Twitter a great deal over this year. After reading her brilliant The One and Only Ivan over a year and a half ago, I knew it was going to be big. I first knew about Katherine through the series she and her husband created, Animorphs. Then I fell in love with her writing in a beautiful book called Home of the Brave. With IVAN, she reached a whole new level. I love that in her speech she not only brought up her prior books, such as a Harlequin Romance novel, but poked fun at her self as well. Katherine is not a new author, she has been writing for some time. I’m thrilled to see her honored, not only because I believe her writing to be on another level, but because she is so genuinely kind. She was swamped this Spring with press after the Newbery was announced, but still took time to answer some questions a few of my reading students had for her. She is quick to hug, share some kind words, and then make you laugh. I’m so thrilled I had the chance to meet her.

Katherine Paterson was honored with the Wilder Award for lasting contribution to the field of children’s literature. At one point I tweeted that her books shaped my childhood, which means they also shaped me into the person I am today. I still remember touring the NCTE exhibit halls with John Schumacher in 2011. John grabbed my arm and pointed Katherine out and said we should go up to her. I froze. I tried to explain that saying hello to Katherine Patterson is not the same as saying hello to Mo Willems – her books own part of my heart. My ten-year-old self could never have imagined that one day I would even be in the same building as the woman who wrote the beautiful story of friendship between Jess and Leslie, let along actually meet her. Bridge to Terabithia is a book in my personal canon, as Donalyn Miller likes to say. It is part of who I am, my reading history. I couldn’t talk to Katherine in 2011. I’ve seen her several times since then, and still have been unable to say hello. It was only half way through the receiving line last night after the banquet that I realized I was going to be forced to say something, and I did. Katherine was at the end of the line. I reached her and she grabbed my hand. At first, I froze. Tears welled up in my eyes as I tried to tell her how much her books meant to me, how I had seen her many times and have not been able to say a word. She was unbelievably kind as she chided me for that, telling me that if I ever saw her again, I was to say hello.

Heroes come in all different forms. The three people I saw last night are surely some of mine. They are brave, kind, and fearless in their own way. All touched on how grateful they are for teachers and librarians working to match the right book with the right kid. That is my job, and they help make it possible. I won’t be able to attend ALA every year, but boy was I glad I could go this year. I cannot imagine a better way to spend my weekend. 

Slice of Life is sponsored every Tuesday by Stacey and Ruth from Two Writing Teachers