"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Cavalcade of Authors West Photos


Pacific Lutheran University the site for Cavalcade of Authors West this year
A panel of authors at the first ever Cavalcade of Authors West
Today sixteen YA and middle-grade authors and over 225 secondary students converged on Pacific Lutheran University for the first ever Cavalcade of Authors West (west of the Cascade Mountain range.) It was a wild and fun day and for my post at the information table I'd say that everyone had a great day.

Every student was assigned to three author sessions where the authors spoke about the writing experience and how to get published. They also were assigned to attend one panel discussion with four of the authors. Questions were asked and prizes were awarded. As the day went on students got more excited and delighted. I asked one group of middle school students how things were going. They all remarked that it was going well, but one girl hung back and exclaimed, "This has been one of the best days of my life!"
Left to right: Leslye Walton,  Stasia Ward Kehoe, Jim Whiting, Liesl Shurtliff

Midmorning the local bookstore, Garfield Books, opened up for book sales and the only girl they sent over was soon swamped and huge line formed. The kids were wild to buy books from the authors whose sessions they attended.

After lunch and the last session, the book-signing sessions commenced. Long lines formed for favorite authors but many students used their t-shirts for autographs and were getting signatures for all authors.

It was so fun.

Students queuing for Marissa Meyer's signature 
The line is pretty long. Notice friendly faces peeking over the crowd?

Showing off Kazu Kibuishi's signature
Finally at the front of the line with Marissa Meyer



Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles series
Think these kids are excited?
Getting Liesl Shurtliff's signature
Kazu Kibuishi signs a book for my library
Here it is, a work of art
Kimberly Derting signing a poster 
Kevin Emerson
Back for more Marissa Meyer

Leslye Walton
Hanging out after the event
Another happy bunch of readers and young, aspiring writers. Kia A. (center back) won the 1st writing context for Cavalcade of Authors West.
Can you tell the kids had a great day?

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