Meeting the Authors - Part 1

This past Thursday, Becky, Barry, and I headed to Philadelphia for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) annual convention, which was held in Philadelphia this year.  The only time we get to go to these events is when they are close by and this year was extra special because the two of us were the Co-Chairs of Food and Beverage.  This means that we got to put together a sub-committee of teachers from all over the state to plan seven luncheons ranging from 80 people to over 600 people in attendance.  We have been working almost a year in the planning process.  It was an honor to be involved with wonderful teachers who pulled together and made the convention a success.  Part of the fun of these conventions in addition to the incredible workshops is exploring the exhibit hall filled with vendors - publishing companies, educational companies, etc.  Many of the publishers bring their authors to the event and we got to meet them and get their  books autographed.  Over the course of the next few days, I will share photos of some of the authors we met.  The first is Donna Jo Napoli.  I recently read her book, Stones in Water, about a boy caught in a war he hates. She signed her new book The Smile  for me.

Kathryn Lasky is a prolific author who has written an amazing number of picturebooks, young adult fiction, adult fiction, and non-fiction.  She autographed Wolves and Beyond for Aidan.  He will love it!
This man is an illustrator and his artwork is gorgeous!  I can't remember his name and I already wrapped the book, God's Promise, for Clara for Christmas.Jennifer and Matthew Holm create BabyMouse graphic novels for young readers.  They are done in pink, black, and white, and are absolutely adorable!  Sasha and Clara are getting these books for Christmas!
Dave Levithan's latest book, Will Grayson, has not even been published yet!
Climbing the Stairs is Padma Venkatraman's first novel, although she has written poetry, picture books, and middle grade fiction.  I can't wait to read it!
The last novelist for Meet the Authors - Part 1 is Jane Yolen.  Probably her most famous novel is The Devil's Arithmetic.  Briar Rose is another popular novel that has received literary acclaim.  She autographed one of her latest, Dragon's Heart, for us. It was such an honor meeting her.
All of the authors we met were so approachable, warm, and gracious.  Meet more authors in a few days!  Man, do I have a lot of reading to do!