RWA -- here I come

ALA was busier than expected.
Later I'll do a post all about my Sunday presentation and the wonderful signing that afternoon.
Right now I'm waiting for my ALA clothes to finish washing, so I can repack them to attend another conference this weekend -- The Romance Writers of America.

I fully believe in cross-fertilization. About 10 years ago I thought about changing from writing children's books to writing sweet romances. Since the RWA conference was in Washington, DC that year, I attended -- to test the waters. After a workshop about finances, I decided that romance writers worked twice as hard as I had been working, with about the same income to show for it. So, back to writing for children I went.

However, their workshops were great for the mid-list writer and many things they said could be applied to writing for children. Which is why I keep up my membership and do attend RWA National whenever it returns to Washington, DC.

I'll try to type up my ALA notes, later.
and tell you about some of my adventures in Chicago.
Meanwhile, I have to close this and go check the dryer. Time to hang up the 'good' clothes.
good night.
-wendieO

ALA intro

I'm here at ALA and am much busier than I thought I'd be.
A short summary:

Thursday evening 500 librarians (including me) trooped down into the basement of the Chase building to become the audience for the PBS radio show -- Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! Although he began with a lot of librarian jokes, (most of them centering around his amazement that 500 librarians would even want to buy out the place to be the audience for the show) I heard from someone who listened to the program when it was broadcast on Saturday that those jokes were eliminated.

As was the response from the librarians when he mentioned using Wikipedia as a trusted source. (gasps/ hisses/ and boos)

I tried taking a few picture with my I-Phone. hmm they are a bit out of focus. I guess I'll learn how to use it soon. (photos will be inserted just as soon as I learn how to move them from i-Photo onto my blog)

Friday I spent at an all day course about taking digital photographs and how to use them in blogs and websites.
Unfortunately, I thought the course would teach me how to actually insert them, but that didn't happen. I did learn a lot about cameras and 'correcting' pictures and legalities of using pictures found on the web. The afternoon was a blur of various things Flickr could do. My mind was reeling by the time we were done.

Today is/ was Saturday (It's still Saturday in Chicago, but it's past midnight for the East Coast. Who knows what day the computers with assign to this blog entry? ) I'll write more about Saturday on another blog. Three workshops with about an hour in the exhibits in between. Then two publisher's parties.

more later. -wendie old

Nonfiction authors signing at ALA

Remember the announcement earlier about the Nonfiction Book Blast I'll be part of on Sunday (yikes -- THIS Sunday) at ALA?
Well a good portion of the panel will also be signing at various publisher's booths that same Sunday.

Here's a list. I hope it's complete. If any panel member discovers their signing time is missing, please mention it in the comments and I'll add it to this message:

 
Book Signing Times for Nonfiction BookBlast Authors at ALA
 All are Sunday, July 12

Bowman-Kruhm, Mary.  The Leakeys: A Biography. Promethesus Books. _____________
 
Halls, Kelly Milner, Tales of the Cryptids, Learner booth #1411, 12:15.
Halls, Kelly Milner: Dinosaur Parade, Sterling booth #1516, 3:30.
 
Kummer, Patricia K. The Great Barrier Reef and The Great Lakes. Nature's Wonders series.  Marshall Cavendish, booth 4315, 1:00-2:00.
 
Macken, JoAnn Early. Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move.  Holiday House, booth #2138, 1:30.
 
McClafferty, Carla Killough.  In Defiance of Hitler: The Secret Mission of Varian Fry.  Farrar, Straus and Giroux booth #1811, 12:30 -1:30.
 
Old, Wendie.  The Halloween Book of Facts and FunAlbert.  Albert Whitman booth #2123, 2:00 - 3:00.
Old, Wendie.  The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun.  Albert Whitman booth #2123 2:00 - 3:00.
 
Sayer, April Pulley.  Honk, Honk, Goose: Canada Geese Start a Family. Henry Holt booth #1816, 2:00 – 3:00.
Sayer, April Pulley.  Trout Are Made of Trees.  Charlesbridge booth #1627, 4:00 – 5:00.
 
Taylor-Butler, Christine.  Sacred Mountain: Everest.  Lee and Low Books, booth #2260, 11:00 - 12:00 July 11, and 1:00 - 2:00.
 
Wohan, Becky.  Follow That Food Chain.  Lerner Publishing Group booth #1411, 12:15.

See you at ALA
-wendie old

Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July!
I hope you enjoyed parades and fireworks and food roasted over hot coals.

My family gifted me with some time alone today. They went to the pool's Fourth of July party while I stayed home trying to organize things for my trip to ALA next week.
(Speaking 10:30 am at the Nonfiction Book Blast and signing at Albert Whitman's booth from 2 to 3 pm -- all on Sunday)

I've searched all over. (and in the process have straightened up places that haven't seen daylight for months/ years/ eons) And still have not been able to find any sign of ALA having sent me my nametag and tickets to the various workshops and dinners I've paid for. It just supports what I've thought all along -- it never was sent.

So I e-mailed the organizers asking for an e-confirmation that I can use to get into things.
and e-mailed the workshop organizer asking where the workshop will be held.
Once the paperwork is in order, then onward to the packing.
-wendieO

Research, as seen by Nonfiction Writers

A bunch of us nonfiction authors (yes, it was the group of ALA speakers, plus others) were talking about doing research. Right in the middle of the discussion, Kelly Milner Halls (whose blog is here) spoke up and put into words the way we all feel about it --

"There is never enough room (in one book) for all the great stuff you find doing research. But that, too, can inspire new books. I have two new proposals drawn from pieces I couldn't use in two other books. Once you get rolling, there aren't enough
hours in the day. It's a fun job, isn't it? Lord, I love writing nonfiction for kids. Just feel excited every morning when I wake up to work on the next thing on my list."

Kelly's newest book is Saving the Baghdad Zoo, which will be published by HarperCollins/Greenwillow in November this year.

Nonfiction Monday -- 18 Nonfiction Writers at ALA

Come say "Hi" to me and 17 other writers at ALA in Chicago next week.

You are invited to -- Nonfiction Book Blast: Booktalks for Reluctant Readers
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Convention Center Room W181
10:30 am to 12:00 pm
ALA Annual Conference, Chicago
Our wiki is at http://nfbookblast.pbworks.com/

Track: Children & Young Adults; Literature & Collection Development

Despite the emphasis on fiction for leisure reading in schools, many reluctant readers are often more drawn to reading nonfiction. Expand your nonfiction repertoire as 18 authors booktalk their latest works. There will be lots of handouts for librarians, including postcards and bookmarks, plus a written version of our booktalks.

Panelists include several Maryland and nearby Virginia award-winning authors -- Amy Hansen, Mary Bowman-Kruhm and me plus acclaimed authors April Pulley Sayre (Vulture View), Kelly Halls (Albino Animals), and Carla McClafferty (Something Out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radium), as well as many additional prolific or brand new authors. Their booktalks, plus new ones crafted by audience members, will be yours to take back home to excite your customers in school and public libraries about reading nonfiction.

Please pass this information to any librarians or writers who might be attending ALA.
-wendie Old

Moderator: Sharon Mitchell, Library Media Specialist
Speakers:

Lisa Rondinelli Albert, Stephenie Meyer: Author of the Twilight Saga (Enslow Publishers, May 2009), So You Want to Be a Film or TV Actor (Enslow Publishers, 2008)

Mary Bowman-Kruhm, The Leakeys: A Biography (Prometheus Books, 2009)

Laura Crawford, In Arctic Waters (Sylvan Dell Publishing), The Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving From A to Z (Pelican Publishing), Postcards From Chicago (Raven Tree Press)

Jeri Chase Ferris, With Open Hands: The Story of Biddy Mason (Lerner), Arctic Explorer: Matthew Henson (Lerner)

Kelly Milner Halls, Dinosaur Parade (Lark/Sterling Publishers, 2008), Saving the Baghdad Zoo (HarperCollins/Greenwillow, 2009), Tales of the Cryptids (Darby Creek Publishing, 2006)

Amy S. Hansen, Bugs and Bugsicles: Insects in the Winter (Boyds Mills Press, 2010), Touch the Earth (NASA and NFB, 2009)

Gwendolyn Hooks, Makers and Takers (Rourke Publishing, 2008)

Katherine L. House, Lighthouses for Kids:History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities (Chicago Review Press, 2008)

Patricia K. Kummer, The Great Barrier Reef (Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009), The Great Lakes (Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009), North Korea and South Korea (two books) (Scholastic/Children's Press, 2008)

Suzanne Lieurance, The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and Sweatshop Reform in American History (Enslow Publishers, Inc.)

JoAnn Early Macken, Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move (Holiday House, 2008)

Carla Killough McClafferty, In Defiance of Hitler: The Secret Mission of Varian Fry (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008)

Wendie Old, The Halloween Book of Facts and Fun (Albert Whitman), The Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun (Albert20Whitman)

April Pulley Sayre, Honk, Honk, Goose: Canada Geese Start a Family (Henry Holt, 2009)

Anastasia Suen, Wired (Charlesbridge, 2007), The U.S. Supreme Court (Picture Window Books)

Christine Taylor-Butler, SACRED MOUNTAIN: Everest (Lee and Low Books, 2009)

Rebecca Hogue Wojahn and Donald Wojahn, Follow That Food Chain (Lerner, 2009)

We hope to see you there!

What a week!

I'm so glad it's the end of the week!
1. Our library system (and our library) has registered more children this summer for Summer Reading than ever before.
We're running out of string backpacks and book logs to give them.

2. Due to budget cuts, our library system has been under stress all June. Last week we learned that 7 or so people had been laid off and a branch was going to close.
This Thursday we learned that the threatened branch was not going to be closed, but the shortfall would have to be made up in other ways.
--No upgrades on computers. (our computers already can't read some of the information people bring into the library on flash drives, because normal people have up-to-date software and the library now isn't going to get a planned upgrade and will fall further and further behind. Oh, sorry you can't open that file someone sent you -- we simply don't have that version of Word or Excel or whatever.)
--Massive cuts in our materials budget. (sorry about that DVD you wanted to watch -- only one copy, if that, was bought for the system. Yes, I know we used to get the DVDs the day they were issued, but... budget cuts don'tchknow. Sorry about that best seller book you want to read. Would you like to be number 200 on the waiting list for it?)
--During the next few months, we'll learn how these deep cuts will affect how we work and what services we can offer at the library.

3. Thursday was lovely. No rain and I drove to Washington, DC, to hear Laura Amy Schlitz (last year's Newbery winner), speak to the Children's Book Guild. She's a local private school librarian. She talked about the writing process and learning the speech she gave, without notes, at the Newbery/ Caldecott banquet last June. And about her wonderful children at Park School, which is near Baltimore, Maryland. I always enjoy hearing how the people around the winner of that medal honor the winner and help them celebrate.

4. Then, after work on Friday I drove an hour to go pick up a second grandchild -- the six/ almost seven-year-old.
--They stayed up until almost midnight chatting. (GO TO SLEEP!)
--They've tried on all the ballet dresses and costumes in the house. (You gotta put away whatever you take out. Yes, Grandmom. -- it's still not done. promises, promises to do it tomorrow)
--They rode bikes.
--They went to the pool. The almost 7-year-old is finally doing some actual swimming, instead of her usual doggie-paddle. I was getting worried about her abilities because the family she lives with takes her out on their boat a lot. Today she managed to swim halfway across the pool. Maybe by the end of the summer she'll make it all the way across. Next year -- we'll aim for lengthwise.
--Meanwhile her sister, the 9-year-old (nine and a half, actually) is on the swim team at the pool, has learned a new stroke (breaststroke) and is earning ribbons swimming in the first heat -- sometimes the only girl in her age group from our pool.
--This evening, mad because I wouldn't let them camp in tents at the pool with the swim team, the two of them built a tent in our living room and are presently sleeping there -- with a large whale protecting them on one side and large Golden Retriever dog on the other.

Time for bed - -or else this post will be labeled as a Sunday message, not a Saturday one.
-wendie Old