ALA Midwinter update

Woot! ALA Midwinter was a total blast - even more fun and exciting than I'd anticipated. I got to sit in the front row at the big press conference and I took some pics as the announcements were made. I'm not going to post the billion and one photos I took of my committee-mates in action as we made the phone calls and waited as we anticipated the start of the press conference, but here are those of the other stuff.



Several of my friends were on the Margaret A. Edwards committee:

and they (as I'd hoped) named Francesca Lia Block as this year's winner. Joy!

I also picked up a galley of her upcoming book, which is Weetzie Bat's story as a forty year-old disenchanted with My Secret Agent Lover Man. I'm excited to read it!

The committee I was honored and pleased to be on is the Caldecott:


and we named three honor books:
The Red Book written and illustrated by Barbara Lehman


Coming On Home Soon illustrated by E.B. Lewis and written by Jacqueline Woodson


Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale written and illustrated by Mo Willems


and the Medal winner, Kitten's First Full Moon written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes


And, last but certainly not least, my freakin' awesome committee chair and -mates


I'm still reeling with the so-cool-ness of this whole experience. I did also do some sight-seeing and I'll post about that momentarily.