Finishing and Starting

 
Bailey Island, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

This is a week of finishing and starting.

I'm off to the airport in a few hours for my last school visit for 2010.  It's in Rye, New York. The whole sixth grade read Rules over the summer, so it will be a lovely ending to a busy year of events.  

I've read so many great Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books as a judge in the Cybil Awards.  Our committee is getting close to making our final selections.  I've always had great respect for people who serve on award committees, but going through the process myself gives me an understanding of how truly challenging it is. There are many different ways to look at a book, so many elements to consider, and most books I love come down to brilliance and imperfections. . .and that's what makes it all interesting and lively.  

And I've been clearing off my desk of all things having to do with Rules and Touch Blue and Hot Rod Hamster.  Answering mail, finding places for the things I want to keep and letting go of the rest. 

Making room for new things, new thoughts, and new books. :-)