Awesome!  Inspiring!  So many books, so many authors, so little time!



Neil Gaiman (!) and me.  The highlight of the weekend was meeting him, getting my copy of The Graveyard Book signed and hearing his Newbery speech in person.  Wow.



Me and Tammi Sauer with her new picture book, Chicken Dance.  Check out this youtube

link www.youtube.com/watch of her publisher (Sterling) having fun with her book.  I wish all publishers were like this!  Tammi's coming to Wisconsin's SCBWI Fall Retreat in October.  We'll be bawkin' n rollin'!



Me, Kashmira Sheth, gbeaverson , and Ann Bausum.  Kashmira, and Ann are in critique groups of mine and Georgia's, though not the same one, if that makes any sense.  If not, oh well, it's not important.  :)  Kashmira received the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for her beautiful picture book, Monsoon Afternoon.



This is Ann Bausum and Kashmira Sheth, who both had signings of their awsome books!




The illustrious Richard Peck so graciously signed two books for me, Newbery Honor A Long Way From Chicago and and an arc (advanced reading copy) of his newest, A Season of Gifts!



Mo Willems.  Love him!



I couldn't decide which copies of Sarah Dessen's books to get for my daughters (I read them, too!) so I bought six, and she signed every one! 



Lisa Albert, a fellow Wisconsin SCBWI-er, whose Enslow biography of Stephenie Meyer just came out!



Me and Georgia with Janet Halfmann, another fellow Wisconsin SCBWI-er, signing her wonderful book, Seven Miles To Freedom.



The SCBWI booth fantastically decked out by the Illinois chapter.  That's Esther Hershenhorn on the right, the fabulous Illinois Regional Advisor.



Talk about BONUS!  I had my copy of The Calder Game signed by author Blue Balliett and her editor, David Levithan, was there!  Squeeee!  I loved Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist!  (He wrote the boy parts)  :)



Georgia, Holly Black and me.  I got my copy of Geektastic signed AND got the coveted Geektastic pocket protector.  Does that make me a geek?  Hell, yeah, and proud of it!



Gennifer Choldenko signed both my copies of Al Capone Does My Shirts and Al Capone Shines My Shoes.  Saweet!



You may know her asthatgirlygirl , Tanya Seale was in my very first critique group when we were greenhorns, waaay before we even knew what SCBWI was!



Jon Scieskza and Lane Smith



Laurie Halse Anderson



Judy Blume.  Love her!  I grew up with her books.



Georgia, Ingrid Law, me



Libba Bray



 Libba Bray sat in the loooooooong line for her signing (before it started) and chatted with fans.  How cool is that? Had my copy of A Great And Terrible Beauty signed AND got an arc signed of Going Bovine!

That's the great thing about ALA, you're surrounded by people who love books as much as you do.  Publishers give away tons of arcs, I scored bags full!  Bags people!  Can you say a little piece of heaven?  I just wish I could hole up for weeks and read, read, read. 



Isn't that a beautiful sight!  :)

For now, don't be surprised if you happen to run in to me at one of my son's baseball games and I seem to be engrossed in the player's list.  It's hiding a book.  :)