I'll be spending most of Saturday loitering around the whereabouts of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, since the 2010 American Library Association Midwinter Meeting is conveniently (for me) going to be there this weekend. Here's my schedule in case you want to say hello.At 10 a.m. on Saturday, stop by booth 1417 (Charlesbridge), where I'll be signing advance review copies of BAMBOO PEOPLE (hot off the presses, I'm told).
At noon, Roger Sutton of the Horn Book will be asking me five questions in booth 1564, right after he does the same to Kristin Cashore at 11. He'll be hosting Lois Lowry at 2, and M.T. Anderson at 3.
From 4-6 p.m., I'll be meeting and mingling with 200 or so people I mostly know in social media venues like Twitter or Facebook at our ALA Midwinter Great Kid/YA Lit Tweetup. We'll be swapping books and matching faces with profile pictures. In case excessive airbrushing was used to create particular online photos, we're providing name tags to help us recognize each other.
To end the evening, Charlesbridge is graciously hosting a cozy celebration launch dinner in honor of BAMBOO PEOPLE at Legal's Test Kitchen. I wasn't in charge of the guest list, so I'm eagerly anticipating those who turn up.
Early Sunday morning I'm leaving town for the west coast, where I have an author visit in Sacramento and another in Berkeley. Plus I'm having major withdrawal from Ma's cooking and Baba's jokes. I'll be back on the Fire Escape on Friday, January 22, 2010.
As for my award predictions (note: not preferences, so don't feel bad if I left you out) regarding the annual youth book and media awards to be announced on Monday morning?
I'm thinking my author buddies Rebecca Stead (WHEN YOU REACH ME), Kristin Cashore (FIRE), Deborah Heiligman (CHARLES AND EMMA) and Grace Lin (WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON) could be getting early wakeup calls, along with editor Cheryl Klein and Francisco X. Stork (MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD). Half the fun is speculation, but we'll see.