I’m celebrating Children’s Book Week by doing a library visit tomorrow, a school visit on Wednesday and… oh, heck… buying some new books. In particular, I’m on the lookout for Linda Urban’s Mouse Was Mad, Kristy Dempsey’s Me With You and Francisco X. Stork’s Marcelo in the Real World.

This also happens to be the last week of the semester at Austin Community College, which means wrapping up both of my classes, reading portfolios and, in my Advanced Children’s Writing class, hosting an awesome panel discussion with these very talented and generous local authors: April Lurie, Joanne Whittemore, Debbie Gonzales, Jessica Lee Anderson and PJ Hoover. Thanks, guys!

My friend Sara let me know about today’s online Haiku Festival — especially appealing to me since I just finished up a month straight of writing daily haiku. There are lots of lovely links here for  you like-minded fans…

My next picture book has been given an official release date of September 8th (which just so happens to be exactly one day after my eldest daughter’s 11th birthday). All the World is out there on the virtual bookshelves already… here and here and here. There was also a lovely ad that ran on Shelf Awareness for a week.

As you know, yesterday was Mother’s Day. From Tall One I got an acrostic poem that included all of my names (some of which are lengthy). A few of my favorite descriptives? Loving, Intelligent, Bendable, Radiant, Ommmmm and Nobody-like-Mama. Oh, also, apparently I’m a "Nice-y-ater". That’s good, right? From Small One, another one of her woven-with-love potholders and a darling little book in which she declared that I am "nice to animals, a good cook and pretty." Also that I "like" her and her sister. So. At least we’re all clear on that.

We spent the day on the Lampasas River, with hawks and snakes and wet ol’ dogs. It was lovely.
Getting outside is always, always a good idea.

slipping down slick bank
landing right where I want to;
floating like a fish

— Liz Garton Scanlon
    5/11/09