Librarians are some of the best people in the world. They are the curators and givers of wonder and awe in the form of books filled with stories. They protect and share our history and culture, in both nonfiction and fiction. And they usually have the best T-shirts.
So is it any surprise that I’m super excited to be going to the Texas Library Association annual convention in Dallas next week?
TLA haul: Bookmarks and comfort squares for THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST.
If you haven’t been, the TLA convention is one of the biggest book events in the U.S. Hundreds of librarians, publishers, authors and more will be talking books, books and more books from April 3-6. I’ve been to TLA almost every year for the past seven years, volunteering at the local SCBWI chapter booths, and it has always been enormous fun.
But this year, for the first time, I’ll be there as a featured author. Yay!
I’ll be at the convention all week, but all my public events are on Tuesday, April 3. Here’s what I’m doing:
2:45pm to 3:45pm – “What’s New With Texas Middle Grade and Young Adult Authors” along with authors Jessica Lee Anderson, Tara Dairman, P.J. Hoover, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Cynthia Levinson, Mari Mancusi and Cory Putnam Oakes
4pm to 5pm – “Speed Dating at the Texas Author and Illustrator Meet and Greet”
5:30pm – Signing ARC copies of THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST at Author Area #8
I’ll also be giving out THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST SWAG, in the form of these beautiful bookmarks and fabric comfort squares (check them out in the picture). What is a “comfort square,” you ask? Well, once you read the book, you’ll know. But I’ll tell you this much: The Boy has one in his pocket when he wakes up on the spooky, scary beach at the beginning of the story, and you’ll like having one too.
I’ll also be handing out postcards for a wonderful initiative I’m excited to be part of this year — a 2018 MG Scavenger Hunt. I’m one of twelve 2018 debut middle-grade authors featured in the scavenger hunt. Our books are coming out throughout the year (one is already on shelves) and there are prizes for young readers who read all 12 books and find the answers to the Scavenger Hunt questions. The first 30 young readers to answer the questions correctly will get special gift packs from the books’ authors. And — this is the best part — one lucky reader will get a $100 gift card to the bookstore of their choice PLUS a matching $100 gift card for any library they want to give it to. Great, huh?
Have a look at the list of amazing books in the 2018 MG Scavenger Hunt here. There’s also a handy downloadable PDF with all the books and questions to be checked off.
Will you be at TLA? I hope so, and I hope you’ll come and meet me at one of my events.
See you in Dallas!
