READ is the current campaign for the American Library Association. But before I talk about my close encounter with a massive number of librarians, I have a question for you.

Did you ever see the musical, Bells Are Ringing? It was a Broadway play and then a movie starring Judy Holliday (who left us far too early). There’s a number in it called “Drop That Name” and while many of the names in the song might be obscure to younger viewers, it’s extremely clever. I love blogs but I have to admit, a lot of blogging consists of dropping names and when I do it, I feel guilty.  Nevertheless, be forewarned: names will be dropped here, but you’d be amazed at what I’m leaving out! And I didn’t take pictures of myself with people because I just loved talking to them and sometimes the camera gets in the way. But the names I’m dropping are all wonderful people and many writers whose work you may or should know.

I went the ALA conference on Saturday and Sunday – my first! I really haven’t been in the book biz that long, not in comparison to my years in advertising and television. The ALA is the American Library Association and this year their huge, gala conference was in my old stomping grounds of Anaheim (I did used to work at Disneyland).

And WOW, it’s an awesome experience, roaming aisle after aisle of exhibits – not just publishers, but also people who make videos and die-cutting machines and library shelves, library benches, desks, and statues, magazines for libraries, magazines about libraries – it goes on and on! On Saturday, I just went to get my badge, get the lay of the land and also support my LAYA friends. That stands for Los Angeles Young Adult writers, a rather loose (in every way) group of local writers. Yes, folks, I went to Layapalooza!

Checking in went well because standing in back of me in line to check in were Alexis O’Neill and Joan Bransfield Graham, two other SoCal writers. (SoCal is Southern California – don’t you love the acronyms so far?) Alexis writes delectable picture books and Joan writes music-to-the-ear poetry books for young children. We had a few quibbles with the powers that be with bags and maps, etc. but Joan straightened it all out. Then, I was off to roam.

I visited the Penguin exhibit (they were hosting me for my signing on Sunday). And I dropped by the Simon and Schuster booth where I learned, to my delight, that my Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs editor, Caitlyn Dlouhy, was winging her way to Anaheim as we spoke. I ran into librarian Tracie Carignan – I had been at her library in Riverside. CA earlier in the year where she hosted me at her library and several Jurupa Unified Schools. She just sent me a GREAT poster of me with the four Seven Wonders essay contest winners which I now have framed on my wall. (See above) By chance, they were all handsome boys, and the five of us had a fabulous dinner together.

Eventually, I made it to the Layapalooza – a game show event that I didn’t participate in because I wasn’t around for the many planning and rehearsal sessions. But I volunteered myself as official photographer. I’m so glad I did – it was definitely entertaining, and the participants in the game show ended up being the likes of authors Neal Shusterman and Nancy Werlin and editor Arthur A. Levine, who has his own imprint at Scholastic and is now known as the editor who brought Harry Potter to America.

LAYAS Amy Goldman Koss and Lisa Yee greet their adoring ALA fans!

And I got to see Caitlyn, which is always a delight.

I also cruised by to chat with Newbery winner, Susan Patron (The Higher Power of Lucky). We both had the good fortune to have Matt Phelan illustrate our books. In fact, The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs was Matt’s first book but his career took off immediately with good reason.

On Sunday, I arrived for my morning signing, which went very well. It’s GREAT-GREAT-GREAT to meet Humphrey’s varied fans. I also got to spend some quality time with Nancy Paulsen, publisher and president of Putnam’s Children’s Books.  Susan Kochan, Humphrey’s editor, wasn’t able to be there, but luckily, I was just with her in New Jersey for the awarding of the prize for the Humphrey Drawing Contest and it was a genuine pleasure to see Nancy again. Especially since she graduated from B.C. (Boston College) as did my son.

I also got to chat with the Penguin Young Reader’s Marketing Team, many of whom I met (and wined and dined with) at the Texas Library Association conference in April. And I met people from Penguin I’ve never met but have always wanted to. Definitely invigorating.

I also ran into another of my VFWs (Very Favorite Writers) – Hope Anita Smith – a multi-talented writer and artist. Check out her website at http://hopeanitasmith.com. Twice. Okay three times we ran into each other.  Once she was with YA writer Marlene Perez, whom I’d had some chat group contact in the past. Loved our in-person chat much more!

So now, I have new writing energy … and boy do I need it!