Buh-Bye, Illinois. Helloooooo, Nashville!

I spent two days in the communities of Skokie and Schaumburg, Illinois, visiting a variety of schools and libraries, and was amazed by the diversity in these two suburbs of Chicago. 


Between presentations, Linda Zeilstra-Sawyer of 
Skokie Library welcomed me  to a lavish lunch

The librarians of Schaumburg personalize a
cake for every visiting author

I also squeezed in an afternoon tour of the two-year-old Center of Teaching Through Children's Books at National-Louis University. Directed by Professors Gail Bush and Junko Yokota, the Center is dedicated to excellence in teaching with quality literature for children and adolescents. Translations abound in their growing, colorful collections, as do displays of award-winning books celebrating a world of cultures and social justice. It's well worth a visit if you're in the Chicago area.


Professors Gail Bush and Junko Yokota of the
Center for Teaching through Children's Books love to share their vision

Today I'm off to Nashville for YALSA's YA Lit Symposium -- and the Grand Ole Opry!