Lisa Yee's Blog, page 8
June 25, 2012
ALA Part One: Famous Authors, Famous Librarians, Famous Peep
It's that time of year again. Yes, the American Library Association Conference, hence to be known here as "ALA."
The last time we were at ALA this happened and that, too . . .
This year it was in Anaheim. We know, because we braved the LA traffic to get there . .
(Disclaimer: I don't know the man in the photo. I took the picture to remind myself where I parked.)
As soon as we arrived, we ran into our friend, illustrator Ken Min. Luckily, he wasn't hurt. Then we went to registration, where we had already been stered in advance . . .
(The badge lists where the company is from, not where you or I are from.)
We met Rob Bittner, our Guardian Angel, for lunch. Because he's from Canada and I'm from the USA, we ate lunch at the International House of Pancakes . . .
After breakfast, which we ate for lunch, it was time to explore! The convention floor was crowded with people and books and librarians and books . . .
Look! It's librarians!!! Here's the bloggeful Betsy Bird, and there's note-y Travis Jonker . . .
Authors were everywhere, too. Hello, bestselling authors Marie Lu and Melissa de la Cruz!
Peepy was relieved that six-time Emmy winner turned author/illustrator Mo Willems wasn't (too) mad at her. Especially because she's his replacement . . .
At Scholastic we saw our editor (and my dear friend JK Rowling's editor) Arthur Levine, conferring with his debut author Mike Jung . . .
We turned around and look who we saw! Yes, Weston Wood's own Paul Gange, who introduced Peepy to lots of important stuff; and Scholastic's Library and Educational Marketing Dude, John Mason . . .
There was quite a commotion as Caldecott Medalist winners Allen Say and Brian Selznick, with NY TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater, all signed books at once -- and they all had to share a pen!!! (Part of that last sentence isn't true.)
Here's Allen and Brian and Maggie . . .
We went in search of Sasquatch or Dan Santat, whichever we could find first. Sadly, we didn't see either, although we saw clues as to where one or both of them were . . .
But we did see Nancy Holder and NY TIMES bestseller Ally Condie . . .
(Ally and I have 50 - 75% of these things in common: 1) we have the same agent, 2) we are both red belts in karate, 3) we were both at ALA, 4) we both took the Evelyn Wood speed reading course.)
I was thrilled to finally meet Prinz Award Winner and National Book Award finalist Gene Luen Yang, and former National Ambassador of Young People's Literature, Jon Scieszka, was thrilled (slightly) to see Peepy again . . .
Next Blog: More ALA awesomeness!!!!!
(Find out who the famous author is behind the Peep.)
UPCOMING JULY STUFF . . .
July 15 - COMIC-CON Panel - HEROES FOR THE MIDDLE-GRADE READER (AND YOU, TOO!): Middle Grade Books That Will Rock Your Socks Off, Sunday, 2:45p.m. - 3:45p.m., Room: 5AB
July 27 - South Pasadena Library Writing Workshop for Kids
July 30 - Once Upon a Time Bookstore - Get Your Pens Out Writing Club
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
June 17, 2012
Dining with Dan, Meeting Mark Twain, and .
This being summer and all, I've decided to cut back from blogging seven times a day (or twice a week) to once a week. That way we can all have more time to eat chocolate, get a pony, write novels, or whatever one does when summer calls.
Most likely I will be blogging on Monday, unless I blog on Tuesday or Wednesday, or another day of the week. And possibly I will blog more than once a week, but maybe not. One never knows.
So then, many of you know, or don't know, or will know, that illustrator/author Dan Santat and I eat a lot. And we eat a lot with each other at lunch time, a lot.
And many times we eat with other people . . .
The other people pictured include, but are not limited to, and are in no particular order whether pictured here or in real life: Michael Reisman*, Jodi Reamer$, Jonathan Auxier*+, Tom Angleberger*, Grace Lin* +, Bob Boyle*+, Winston Swain*, Mo Willems*+, Jarrett Krosoczka*+, Brian Floca+, Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, James Burks*+, Richard Jesse Watson+, and millions more. (Here's a nifty way to say who does what: * = author, + = illustrator, $ = agent.)
The most recent venture of the Dan and Lisa Lunch Club, which I said I would blog about each time but have failed to do, was at a place called, Young Dong Garden. (Dan thought the name of the restaurant was silly and giggled through the entire meal.)
In other This and That news, my Peep and I explored Monrovia recently. The library was closed, but Peepy got to hang out with Mark Twain . . .
I know you're all "Ooooh, Peepy met a celebrity," but she's met them before. Here's Peepy telling Einstein about science . . .
Later, she goofed off . . .
We also went shopping for beloved office supplies, which is dangerous, because we tend to obsess over folders and pens and such . . .
My Peep was convinced she saw Jarrett Krosoczka at the store!
Speaking of punctuation marks (pretend we were), do you have a favorite?
Figure out which one you like best, then check HERE to see what it says about your personality type.
For the record, I picked a PERIOD.
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Most likely I will be blogging on Monday, unless I blog on Tuesday or Wednesday, or another day of the week. And possibly I will blog more than once a week, but maybe not. One never knows.
So then, many of you know, or don't know, or will know, that illustrator/author Dan Santat and I eat a lot. And we eat a lot with each other at lunch time, a lot.
And many times we eat with other people . . .
The other people pictured include, but are not limited to, and are in no particular order whether pictured here or in real life: Michael Reisman*, Jodi Reamer$, Jonathan Auxier*+, Tom Angleberger*, Grace Lin* +, Bob Boyle*+, Winston Swain*, Mo Willems*+, Jarrett Krosoczka*+, Brian Floca+, Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, James Burks*+, Richard Jesse Watson+, and millions more. (Here's a nifty way to say who does what: * = author, + = illustrator, $ = agent.)
The most recent venture of the Dan and Lisa Lunch Club, which I said I would blog about each time but have failed to do, was at a place called, Young Dong Garden. (Dan thought the name of the restaurant was silly and giggled through the entire meal.)
In other This and That news, my Peep and I explored Monrovia recently. The library was closed, but Peepy got to hang out with Mark Twain . . .
I know you're all "Ooooh, Peepy met a celebrity," but she's met them before. Here's Peepy telling Einstein about science . . .
Later, she goofed off . . .
We also went shopping for beloved office supplies, which is dangerous, because we tend to obsess over folders and pens and such . . .
My Peep was convinced she saw Jarrett Krosoczka at the store!
Speaking of punctuation marks (pretend we were), do you have a favorite?
Figure out which one you like best, then check HERE to see what it says about your personality type.
For the record, I picked a PERIOD.
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
June 11, 2012
Me, Truman Capote, And Proud of It - Celebrating LGBT Month
Recently, I was invited to read at Skylight Books . . .
We got there early, so we ventured down the street so Peepy could get a snack . . .
Then we explored Skylight . . . both parts. That's right, TWO buildings, cause its awesomeness could not be confined to one. Here's the side with lots of graphic novels, art books, etc . . .
And here's the other side, with fiction, kids books, non-fiction, etc., where the readings took place . . .
Soon it was time to begin. The event, AND PROUD OF IT: Gay and Lesbian Writers Who Inspired Us, was In celebration of LGBT Heritage Month.
Award-winning author Noel Alumit hosted the evening . . .
The authors, straight and gay, included . . .
Here's Noel, Raquel Gutierez, Stephen Reigns, Hope Edelman, Frederick Smith, Leslie Schwartz, and Imani Tolliver.
(Um. I was smitten by the microphone. That's why it appears in front of everyone's face in the photos.)
When it was my turn, I read from Truman Capote.
It discombobulates me to think that the same person who wrote BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S also created a new genre when he wrote the groundbreaking IN COLD BLOOD which first appeared in THE NEW YORKER magazine.
Oh, hey! If you love the movie BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (which is wonderful, except for the racist part with Mickey Rooney playing an Asian), then you've got to read FIFTH AVENUE, 5 A.M. -- Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, And The Dawn Of The Modern Woman by Sam Wasson . . .
As for IN COLD BLOOD, I even managed to include a reference to the book in my first novel for kids, MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS . . .
Now, let's return to Skylight. That night, I chose to read from A CHRISTMAS MEMORY.
When I was a kid I loved the story. I still do. But back then, I didn't even know who Capote was, or if he was old or young, gay or straight, tall or short -- I just knew that his story was beautiful and it made me cry. I was soooooo worried I would start weeping in Skylight when I read.
And so I started. Here's the attractive and witty crowd . . .
As I read, I saw people nodding (as in agreement, not as in "nodding off"), for it seems that many were familiar with this classic. I was so proud of myself! I didn't cry, although I did wobble a bit at the end. Phew -- made it through the evening without tears!!!
Then before the last author went up, Noel told us about him. To help Celebrate LGBT Heritage Month, there was a Youth Creative Writing/Video Contest for students in grades 6 -12. We were lucky to one of the winners be our last speaker!
Vista School 11th grader, Jesus "Jesse" Navarro, read his amazing work,"Our Heritage." His poem was beautiful and it made me cry.
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
We got there early, so we ventured down the street so Peepy could get a snack . . .
Then we explored Skylight . . . both parts. That's right, TWO buildings, cause its awesomeness could not be confined to one. Here's the side with lots of graphic novels, art books, etc . . .
And here's the other side, with fiction, kids books, non-fiction, etc., where the readings took place . . .
Soon it was time to begin. The event, AND PROUD OF IT: Gay and Lesbian Writers Who Inspired Us, was In celebration of LGBT Heritage Month.
Award-winning author Noel Alumit hosted the evening . . .
The authors, straight and gay, included . . .
Here's Noel, Raquel Gutierez, Stephen Reigns, Hope Edelman, Frederick Smith, Leslie Schwartz, and Imani Tolliver.
(Um. I was smitten by the microphone. That's why it appears in front of everyone's face in the photos.)
When it was my turn, I read from Truman Capote.
It discombobulates me to think that the same person who wrote BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S also created a new genre when he wrote the groundbreaking IN COLD BLOOD which first appeared in THE NEW YORKER magazine.
Oh, hey! If you love the movie BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (which is wonderful, except for the racist part with Mickey Rooney playing an Asian), then you've got to read FIFTH AVENUE, 5 A.M. -- Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, And The Dawn Of The Modern Woman by Sam Wasson . . .
As for IN COLD BLOOD, I even managed to include a reference to the book in my first novel for kids, MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS . . .
Now, let's return to Skylight. That night, I chose to read from A CHRISTMAS MEMORY.
When I was a kid I loved the story. I still do. But back then, I didn't even know who Capote was, or if he was old or young, gay or straight, tall or short -- I just knew that his story was beautiful and it made me cry. I was soooooo worried I would start weeping in Skylight when I read.
And so I started. Here's the attractive and witty crowd . . .
As I read, I saw people nodding (as in agreement, not as in "nodding off"), for it seems that many were familiar with this classic. I was so proud of myself! I didn't cry, although I did wobble a bit at the end. Phew -- made it through the evening without tears!!!
Then before the last author went up, Noel told us about him. To help Celebrate LGBT Heritage Month, there was a Youth Creative Writing/Video Contest for students in grades 6 -12. We were lucky to one of the winners be our last speaker!
Vista School 11th grader, Jesus "Jesse" Navarro, read his amazing work,"Our Heritage." His poem was beautiful and it made me cry.
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
June 6, 2012
Guess Who Was On Sirius Radio's THE BOOK REPORT with JJK??? (Hint: Me.)
Yes! That was me (and Peepy) you heard on Sirius radio's XM 78 - Kid's Place Live. That's right! I was on The Absolutely Mindy show and THE BOOK REPORT with JJK . . .
Here's an actual video of when Jarrett taped Peepy's part of the interview . . .
I know it doesn't look like a video, but it is. Jarrett and Peepy were just being very still, plus they were being really quiet.
Oh wait! Look! Listen! I did a video recording of me listening to Mindy and Jarrett talking about me on the radio!!!! (You can see a cameo of my dog, too -- lower left hand corner.)
Of course, I meant to abruptly cut off the interview because . . . well, because. Here's a link to all the famous people who have met Peepy! (Jarrett was telling Mindy about this.)
In case you missed us on the radio, here is a recap of the nine hottest topics we covered. (It is remotely possible some of the topics were edited out of the final show.)
1) Why people say "baby kittens" but not "baby puppies" . . .
2) My books.
3) What my dog looks like after she rolls around in the burrs . . .
4) WARP SPEED and my ability to speak Klingon.
5) The Jubilee . . .
6) How Jarrett spells (and says) his last name.
7) The BOBBY books.
8) Science.
9) Fancy sandwiches.
For more Jarrett Krosoczka and his BOOK REPORT radio, tune in to . . .
Upcoming guests include Mo Willems, Norton Jester, Tony and Angela DiTerlizza and more!
Plus, check this out! The Absolutely Mindy Show and the Book Report with JJK present: The Summer Book Club! June's featured author is:
A) Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy
B) Tolstoy
C) Marc Brown
The answer is C. However, here's a totally candid photo of Colin Firth being interviewed by Jarrett for a future show . . .
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Here's an actual video of when Jarrett taped Peepy's part of the interview . . .
I know it doesn't look like a video, but it is. Jarrett and Peepy were just being very still, plus they were being really quiet.
Oh wait! Look! Listen! I did a video recording of me listening to Mindy and Jarrett talking about me on the radio!!!! (You can see a cameo of my dog, too -- lower left hand corner.)
Of course, I meant to abruptly cut off the interview because . . . well, because. Here's a link to all the famous people who have met Peepy! (Jarrett was telling Mindy about this.)
In case you missed us on the radio, here is a recap of the nine hottest topics we covered. (It is remotely possible some of the topics were edited out of the final show.)
1) Why people say "baby kittens" but not "baby puppies" . . .
2) My books.
3) What my dog looks like after she rolls around in the burrs . . .
4) WARP SPEED and my ability to speak Klingon.
5) The Jubilee . . .
6) How Jarrett spells (and says) his last name.
7) The BOBBY books.
8) Science.
9) Fancy sandwiches.
For more Jarrett Krosoczka and his BOOK REPORT radio, tune in to . . .
Upcoming guests include Mo Willems, Norton Jester, Tony and Angela DiTerlizza and more!
Plus, check this out! The Absolutely Mindy Show and the Book Report with JJK present: The Summer Book Club! June's featured author is:
A) Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy
B) Tolstoy
C) Marc Brown
The answer is C. However, here's a totally candid photo of Colin Firth being interviewed by Jarrett for a future show . . .
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
June 3, 2012
Time Machine Magic: Museum Edition
My Peep reminded me that that we wrote a blog a while back and never posted it. Why? We had so much other stuff going on, like taking part in National Donut Day, that it slipped our collective minds.
So, we're going to post our museum blog today, but first this . . .
Yes, that's me with amazing author/illustrator/MC Jarrett Krosoczka. The interview is this Wednesday, June 6th, at 5:30 pm EST. You can tune into Sirius XM channel 78 and listen to The Book Report with JJK airs during The Absolutely Mindy Show on Kids Place Live!
Here's Jarrett when he's not drawing or writing or interviewing authors . . .
Hey, if you're in the Los Angeles area on Thursday, June 7th, I'll be at Skylight Books reading Truman Capote as part of AND PROUD OF IT: In celebration of LGBT Heritage. It's gathering of straight and gay Los Angeles writers reading the work of Gay and Lesbian author who inspired them.
Okay, and now . . . through the magic of my ATM (Amazing Time Machine), we're back in Washington, DC. The day before the National Book Festival, to be exact.
We had some free time, so went exploring . . .
Hey, what's that building over there? Why it's part of the Smithsonian and called the Renwick Gallery . . .
Why, let's go inside, shall we?
The last time we were here, I got too close to this and accidentally set off the alarm. (I was pointing to some of the toys.)
We were much more careful this time, especially since there were warning signs everywhere . . .
Hooray! We had a great time and didn't get into any trouble!!!
However, we can't say the same about our friend Lauren Myracle ...
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
So, we're going to post our museum blog today, but first this . . .
Yes, that's me with amazing author/illustrator/MC Jarrett Krosoczka. The interview is this Wednesday, June 6th, at 5:30 pm EST. You can tune into Sirius XM channel 78 and listen to The Book Report with JJK airs during The Absolutely Mindy Show on Kids Place Live!
Here's Jarrett when he's not drawing or writing or interviewing authors . . .
Hey, if you're in the Los Angeles area on Thursday, June 7th, I'll be at Skylight Books reading Truman Capote as part of AND PROUD OF IT: In celebration of LGBT Heritage. It's gathering of straight and gay Los Angeles writers reading the work of Gay and Lesbian author who inspired them.
Okay, and now . . . through the magic of my ATM (Amazing Time Machine), we're back in Washington, DC. The day before the National Book Festival, to be exact.
We had some free time, so went exploring . . .
Hey, what's that building over there? Why it's part of the Smithsonian and called the Renwick Gallery . . .
Why, let's go inside, shall we?
The last time we were here, I got too close to this and accidentally set off the alarm. (I was pointing to some of the toys.)
We were much more careful this time, especially since there were warning signs everywhere . . .
Hooray! We had a great time and didn't get into any trouble!!!
However, we can't say the same about our friend Lauren Myracle ...
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
May 31, 2012
Seeing Craig Ferguson and Flunking A Typing Test (but not at the same time)
One of the many advantages of living in Los Angeles is that you can go to see Craig Ferguson a lot.
We've seen Craig, as he would want me to call him, with guests Robin Williams and Neil Patrick Harris. (They weren't on at the same time.)
And COLIN FIRTH. That's right. Me and Colin Firth and Craig Ferguson. Together. All of us.
Here's Colin visiting my office . . .
This time
(That's not Alfred with Craig, that's Geoff.)
This is Alfred from the film AN EDUCATION. (Loved that movie!)
Before the show, we had lunch at The Grove, which is next door to the CBS Studios.
Why is the CBS Studios famous? Is it because many famous TV shows are shot there?
Noooooooooo.
It's famous because that's where I flunked my typing test.
Yes, that's right. I flunked.
It was during college and I went there to try to be a production assistant. I aced the interview and was told I had the job -- and all I had to do was pass the typing test.
I was given a TYPEWRITER* and a sheet of paper to retype.
(For those of you who are young, a typewriter is a machine that was used to make letter marks on paper. If you made a mistake, you would have to start over, or use something called WiteOut.)
When I was done, I knew I was done. I said, "I flunked, didn't I?" And the woman interviewing me said, "Well, no one flunks," and she tried not to laugh, "But it isn't good."
I typed 32 words a minute with 16 mistakes.
Oh well. The thing is, I can compose at the keyboard really, really, really fast. But when asked to type something someone else writes, then, well, I flunk.
Oops. Too long a digression! Back to The Grove.
While we were there so was Extra, the entertainment news show . . .
There were crowds trying to see who was being interviewed . . .
We made our way up, but still couldn't figure out who it was . . .
Can you tell? (We we told is was one of the "housewives" of New Jersey.)
Actually, the real celebrity is seen here . . .
After, we stopped by The American Girl Place to visit our Kanani books . . .
What was that? Cruise? Did someone say, "American Girl cruise to the Caribbean?"
Oops. Digression. Okay, so then, it was time to wait in line for Craig's show. Here's our ticket and the ticket people . . .
We weren't allowed to bring our iPhone into the studio, so there are no photos of Craig or Alfred. However, we took these photos in the parking lot later . . .
(We were impressed by the unnecessary quotation marks.)
Oh! Before we go, thank you, New Jersey librarians! Honored that BOBBY THE BRAVE (SOMETIMES) is a 2013 Garden State Book Award Nominee!!!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
We've seen Craig, as he would want me to call him, with guests Robin Williams and Neil Patrick Harris. (They weren't on at the same time.)
And COLIN FIRTH. That's right. Me and Colin Firth and Craig Ferguson. Together. All of us.
Here's Colin visiting my office . . .
This time
(That's not Alfred with Craig, that's Geoff.)
This is Alfred from the film AN EDUCATION. (Loved that movie!)
Before the show, we had lunch at The Grove, which is next door to the CBS Studios.
Why is the CBS Studios famous? Is it because many famous TV shows are shot there?
Noooooooooo.
It's famous because that's where I flunked my typing test.
Yes, that's right. I flunked.
It was during college and I went there to try to be a production assistant. I aced the interview and was told I had the job -- and all I had to do was pass the typing test.
I was given a TYPEWRITER* and a sheet of paper to retype.
(For those of you who are young, a typewriter is a machine that was used to make letter marks on paper. If you made a mistake, you would have to start over, or use something called WiteOut.)
When I was done, I knew I was done. I said, "I flunked, didn't I?" And the woman interviewing me said, "Well, no one flunks," and she tried not to laugh, "But it isn't good."
I typed 32 words a minute with 16 mistakes.
Oh well. The thing is, I can compose at the keyboard really, really, really fast. But when asked to type something someone else writes, then, well, I flunk.
Oops. Too long a digression! Back to The Grove.
While we were there so was Extra, the entertainment news show . . .
There were crowds trying to see who was being interviewed . . .
We made our way up, but still couldn't figure out who it was . . .
Can you tell? (We we told is was one of the "housewives" of New Jersey.)
Actually, the real celebrity is seen here . . .
After, we stopped by The American Girl Place to visit our Kanani books . . .
What was that? Cruise? Did someone say, "American Girl cruise to the Caribbean?"
Oops. Digression. Okay, so then, it was time to wait in line for Craig's show. Here's our ticket and the ticket people . . .
We weren't allowed to bring our iPhone into the studio, so there are no photos of Craig or Alfred. However, we took these photos in the parking lot later . . .
(We were impressed by the unnecessary quotation marks.)
Oh! Before we go, thank you, New Jersey librarians! Honored that BOBBY THE BRAVE (SOMETIMES) is a 2013 Garden State Book Award Nominee!!!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
May 28, 2012
Middle School Library Love
We LOVE libraries!
Last year, the middle school in my hometown of South Pasadena got a brand new library. Recently, Peepy and I stopped by to visit . . .
Peepy goofed off a bit and explored . . .
She even made friends . . .
. . . and bought necessary supplies . . .
And thought about snacks . . .
Then we remembered why we were there! It was to donate gently used books . . .
This made librarian Betsy Kahn happy . . .
(Do you know what else makes Ms. Kahn happy? The fact that every day over 50% of the entire student body visits the library!!!!!!!!!!)
Before we left, Peepy looked to see where her as-yet-unwritten epic novel/memoir would go . . .
So then, if you have any books you can spare, any doubles of books, or books that you just don't have room for, consider donating them to your local school or public library!!!
In other news, there's this . . .
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
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Last year, the middle school in my hometown of South Pasadena got a brand new library. Recently, Peepy and I stopped by to visit . . .
Peepy goofed off a bit and explored . . .
She even made friends . . .
. . . and bought necessary supplies . . .
And thought about snacks . . .
Then we remembered why we were there! It was to donate gently used books . . .
This made librarian Betsy Kahn happy . . .
(Do you know what else makes Ms. Kahn happy? The fact that every day over 50% of the entire student body visits the library!!!!!!!!!!)
Before we left, Peepy looked to see where her as-yet-unwritten epic novel/memoir would go . . .
So then, if you have any books you can spare, any doubles of books, or books that you just don't have room for, consider donating them to your local school or public library!!!
In other news, there's this . . .
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
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May 24, 2012
A Peep at Pasadena City College
As many of you know, or may not know, or now know, I do lots of elementary and middle school visits.
But it's also fun to speak to college students. Last week I traveled all the way from South Pasadena to Pasadena -- officially, they are two different cities . . .
Look! The invisible man was there, too!!!
I was invited to speak to the Children's Literature class at Pasadena City College . . .
The campus is gorgeous in the day . . .
And at night . . .
Peepy and I were early, so we hung out at the Writing Center and gathered notes . . .
Kathleen Green introduced us to her students . . .
We began by retelling the history of the cotton swab, only no one seemed interested in this . . .
So we decided to spice it up and talk about children's literature, and showed how many, many, many drafts it took to write BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY), a book the students had been assigned to read . . .
(That's Dan Santat lounging about on top of the books. He illustrated BOBBY and we brought him with us.)
Can you tell how many revisions we did?
This seemed to wake up most of the students, but not all . . .
Later, we had a rousing discussion and a wonderful time! Thanks, everyone!!!
BTW, do you live in Southern California, know someone who does, or will be visiting between this very minute and the next 50 years? If so, then check out the Southern California Independent Bookstores!
You never know what you'll find! Like, I recently discovered that I am the end of Junior Fiction! (Um, is that a good thing?)
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
But it's also fun to speak to college students. Last week I traveled all the way from South Pasadena to Pasadena -- officially, they are two different cities . . .
Look! The invisible man was there, too!!!
I was invited to speak to the Children's Literature class at Pasadena City College . . .
The campus is gorgeous in the day . . .
And at night . . .
Peepy and I were early, so we hung out at the Writing Center and gathered notes . . .
Kathleen Green introduced us to her students . . .
We began by retelling the history of the cotton swab, only no one seemed interested in this . . .
So we decided to spice it up and talk about children's literature, and showed how many, many, many drafts it took to write BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY), a book the students had been assigned to read . . .
(That's Dan Santat lounging about on top of the books. He illustrated BOBBY and we brought him with us.)
Can you tell how many revisions we did?
This seemed to wake up most of the students, but not all . . .
Later, we had a rousing discussion and a wonderful time! Thanks, everyone!!!
BTW, do you live in Southern California, know someone who does, or will be visiting between this very minute and the next 50 years? If so, then check out the Southern California Independent Bookstores!
You never know what you'll find! Like, I recently discovered that I am the end of Junior Fiction! (Um, is that a good thing?)
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
May 20, 2012
Look! It's LitFest Pasadena
It was a gorgeous day in Pasadena. Well, that is if you consider blue skies and temps in the high 70s nice . . .
Perfect weather for the very very very first LitFest Pasadena -- and we were there!
Before the festival began, we wandered around and checked it out . . .
Wait! Who's that attractive trio? Why it's Co-founder of the Lit Fest, Pasadena Star Newsman Larry Wilson; author of HELEN OF PASADENA, Lian Dolan; and YA author/poet Ron Kortege hanging out in the Green Room!
We were thrilled to visit Little Junebugs, a new bookstore-and-fun-things-store in Pasadena . . .
Can it be? Yes! It's one of our fav indie bookstores, Once Upon a Time . . .
Hey, is that Candace Ryan and James Burks?
(The correct answer is YES!)
While we were wandering about, we ran smack into YA author Blake Nelson wandering about, too. He didn't see us at first, at least, that's his story . . .
Maybe he was distracted by the Muggles playing Quiddich . . .
To kick off the inaugural fest, Larry spoke and Lian read from her new book -- so new that it's not out yet or even finished, and then we heard from Sandra Tsing Loh . . .
Soon it was time for our panel discussion . . .
(Above: Ron, Me, Cecil Castellucci, Sherri Smith, Blake, and Jessica Brody)
Okay, so here's a popular game I invented just for you! It's called Guess Which LitFest YA Author is Wearing What/Whose Shoes . . .
Here are the answers in order of shoes: Ron, Cecil, Blake, Lisa, Jessica, Sherri.
The panelists had a wonderful time taking about Young Adult novels, the industry, Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, the writing, the controversy, the state of geometry with regards to its impact on astrophysics, and adjectives. (Okay, so maybe we didn't talk about one of those topics, but we would have had we not run out of time.)
Later, Peepy had her own solo panel called "How to Be a Bestselling Author Without Even Writing a Book or Knowing What a Conjunction Is" . . .
Thanks, LitFest Pasadena, we had a great time!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Perfect weather for the very very very first LitFest Pasadena -- and we were there!
Before the festival began, we wandered around and checked it out . . .
Wait! Who's that attractive trio? Why it's Co-founder of the Lit Fest, Pasadena Star Newsman Larry Wilson; author of HELEN OF PASADENA, Lian Dolan; and YA author/poet Ron Kortege hanging out in the Green Room!
We were thrilled to visit Little Junebugs, a new bookstore-and-fun-things-store in Pasadena . . .
Can it be? Yes! It's one of our fav indie bookstores, Once Upon a Time . . .
Hey, is that Candace Ryan and James Burks?
(The correct answer is YES!)
While we were wandering about, we ran smack into YA author Blake Nelson wandering about, too. He didn't see us at first, at least, that's his story . . .
Maybe he was distracted by the Muggles playing Quiddich . . .
To kick off the inaugural fest, Larry spoke and Lian read from her new book -- so new that it's not out yet or even finished, and then we heard from Sandra Tsing Loh . . .
Soon it was time for our panel discussion . . .
(Above: Ron, Me, Cecil Castellucci, Sherri Smith, Blake, and Jessica Brody)
Okay, so here's a popular game I invented just for you! It's called Guess Which LitFest YA Author is Wearing What/Whose Shoes . . .
Here are the answers in order of shoes: Ron, Cecil, Blake, Lisa, Jessica, Sherri.
The panelists had a wonderful time taking about Young Adult novels, the industry, Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, the writing, the controversy, the state of geometry with regards to its impact on astrophysics, and adjectives. (Okay, so maybe we didn't talk about one of those topics, but we would have had we not run out of time.)
Later, Peepy had her own solo panel called "How to Be a Bestselling Author Without Even Writing a Book or Knowing What a Conjunction Is" . . .
Thanks, LitFest Pasadena, we had a great time!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
May 17, 2012
The Tony DiTerlizzi Show
Whose happy feet are those?
Why, the belong to none other than author/illustrator/fashion maven Tony DiTerlizzi! He was on his planet-wide tour for A HERO FOR WONDLA.
When last we saw him, he was modeling a lovely limited edition front/back/arms deer/nature scene shirt we gave him . . .
This time we caught up with Tony at Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop, closer to our home . . .
Before his author/illustrator appearance, he took time to read his Caldicott Honor book, SPIDER AND THE FLY to Andrea Vuleta, General Manager of Mrs. Nelson's and President of the SoCal Independent Booksellers Association, and Peepy . . .
Then it was showtime! Tony drew pictures as he talked. Here he is with a totally realistic drawing of his younger self . ..
You know how some authors are shy and stiff. Well, Tony's a tad like that, only he's trying to overcome it . . .
He was so entranced by Peepy's presence, that he even dedicated much of his talk to her . . .
She encouraged him to come out his shell and emote more . . .
After everyone left, we stayed behind and Tony was autographed books to his muse . . .
Then we explored Mrs. Nelson's . . .
Peepy wondered where her bestselling epic memoir/fashion tips book would go, once she wrote it. And Andrea knew just the place!
And now for some super secret photos. Yes! The bathroom door signed by authors and illustrators who have visited Mrs. Nelson's!
Hmmmm . . . not sure what it is with scrawls on bathroom walls. This is Tony's bathroom at his house.
Here's Tony talking about the WONDLA series on CNN.
And finally, want to see something that will make you smile? Check out these are these totally awesome teachers!!!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
Why, the belong to none other than author/illustrator/fashion maven Tony DiTerlizzi! He was on his planet-wide tour for A HERO FOR WONDLA.
When last we saw him, he was modeling a lovely limited edition front/back/arms deer/nature scene shirt we gave him . . .
This time we caught up with Tony at Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop, closer to our home . . .
Before his author/illustrator appearance, he took time to read his Caldicott Honor book, SPIDER AND THE FLY to Andrea Vuleta, General Manager of Mrs. Nelson's and President of the SoCal Independent Booksellers Association, and Peepy . . .
Then it was showtime! Tony drew pictures as he talked. Here he is with a totally realistic drawing of his younger self . ..
You know how some authors are shy and stiff. Well, Tony's a tad like that, only he's trying to overcome it . . .
He was so entranced by Peepy's presence, that he even dedicated much of his talk to her . . .
She encouraged him to come out his shell and emote more . . .
After everyone left, we stayed behind and Tony was autographed books to his muse . . .
Then we explored Mrs. Nelson's . . .
Peepy wondered where her bestselling epic memoir/fashion tips book would go, once she wrote it. And Andrea knew just the place!
And now for some super secret photos. Yes! The bathroom door signed by authors and illustrators who have visited Mrs. Nelson's!
Hmmmm . . . not sure what it is with scrawls on bathroom walls. This is Tony's bathroom at his house.
Here's Tony talking about the WONDLA series on CNN.
And finally, want to see something that will make you smile? Check out these are these totally awesome teachers!!!
===========================
Disclaimer: No proofreaders were harmed (or even used) in the creation of this blog.
Want to check out Lisa's NEW AND IMPROVED website? Simply CLICK HERE.
Interested in having Lisa speak at your school, library or conference? CLICK HERE for more information.
Lisa Yee
Subscribe to Lisa Yee's Blog and get her fresh baked blogs e-mailed to you!
Email:
Or you can click this for a RSS feed...
