MONDAY, 7:30 a.m. I meet Patrick Carman in the lobby of the Hotel George on Capitol Hill, where he’s been staying during his appearance at the National Book Festival. We introduce ourselves as Patrick finishes his bagel & cream 
cheese, then hop into the car and head to Alexandria.
8:00 a.m. We stop at Hooray For Books! so that Patrick can sign some of our stock. (Hint, hint: If you need a gift, an autographed book is a great one!)
8:15 a.m. We head to Jefferson-Houston School for Arts & Academics, where we meet with the new J-H 6th graders in the library. Patrick does a fabulous presentation to the group, with funny stories of childhood pranks committed with his best friend “big-haired Gary.” At the end of his story, he wishes for an imaginary camera that would take a photo of each student’s mental picture of “big-haired Gary,” and guesses that no two Garys would be the same. He uses this concept to talk about the importance of imagination and reading — when you read a book, you’re the director, and even if your library book has been read 500 times before, when you read it, it’s a different story than it’s ever been before.
10:00 a.m. Patrick & I are off to Mount Vernon Community School, where we’re greeted enthusiastically by librarian Debbie Griffin. Patrick does a presentation for 3rd and 4th graders, showing goofy childhood photos of himself that have the kids laughing. After a short break, he does yet another presentation, this time for 5th graders. He talks about diary-keeping, and how it’s not necessary to keep a “word” diary, but instead to try a picture diary. He shows a couple of pages from his own diary and demonstrates the difference between what he puts on the page and what he sees in his head. In a move sure to be appreciated by parents, he encourages the children to try to recall something that happened at school every day and tell it to a parent at the end of the day. He says it’s great practice for becoming a writer!
Noon I drop Patrick at Reagan National Airport for his long trip back to Walla Walla, Washington. It was a great pleasure to spend some time with someone so easy to get along with and so passionate about literacy and children.
Join us for our next meeting of the Young Adult Book Club! We’ll be meeting on Tuesday, October 27 at 6:30 p.m. for a journey back in time with this 1970s classic. October’s pick is Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Eleven-going-on-twelve Margaret Simon’s family leaves New York City for the suburbs. Margaret makes friends with a secret club of girlfriends, who help each other navigate the world of young adolescence (like boys and bras). Margaret also attempts to reconcile her feelings on religion. You probably read this quite a few years ago, which means it should be lots of fun to re-read with the perspective of time.
A children’s book based on the adult best-seller Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by the same author.
Author Lauren Child’s trademark humor and whimsical illustrations bring to life the story of Twinkle Toes, a pampered poodle who dreams of splashing in puddles like the other dogs. Twinkle Toes struggles to find her place as a dog, putting her owner through all sorts of hijinks. The pages are filled with highly entertaining collage pictures, and the story has a nice theme of self-acceptance. Who Wants to be a Poodle I Don’t is a book you’ll enjoy reading and re-reading.
All the World, written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Caldecott Honor medalist Marla Frazee, is more than my book of the day — it is one of my favorite books of the year!! I must admit I have a hard time stepping out of my comfort zone to recommend books that are new and not ones from my childhood or my children’s early childhood. All the World follows a family through their day, starting with the family on the beach and ending with an evening with friends, with lots of everyday moments with family and friends in between. You cannot help but feel the mood and action through the most perfect illustrations. This book will be passed down from generation to generation and is very likely to be a classic of our time!!
Our Penguin U.S.A. sales rep, Doni Kay, invited Ellen & I and other local booksellers to dinner with Steve, who held his own brilliantly in the company of so many women! It was great to get to know him a little better, and also to exchange shoptalk with other booksellers. The photo at right is the whole group at Founding Farmers, a wonderful restaurant in Foggy Bottom.
Seeing is Believing!
Hot off the presses, be sure to check out this latest release from the author of Leaves, The Nice Book, and Monster Hug. The story follows Joey the kangaroo, who is a bit hesitant to explore the world. Joey tries out two hops, then retreats to the safety of mama’s pouch. Then he tries a few more hops. Before long, Joey hops farther, and even makes new friends. This lovely book elicits a chuckle as it deals with the challenge of venturing into the world for the first time.
This most wonderful picture book is not only for young readers (age 3+) who love trees but also for anyone touched by the death of someone – or something – very dear. It’s the story of a little girl who loves a 175-year-old tree in her yard – she swings from it, reads under it, and plays in its leaves in the fall. Until a storm breaks its branches, and the tree has to be cut down. Tess is terribly upset – until she decides to hold a funeral for the tree to celebrate its wonderful life. That’s when we learn the many ways in which Tess’s tree touched a variety of people’s lives and spread the magic of love.
