"Speed Dating" in NYC at Book Expo--Sassy Sack is featured!

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6662060.html?desc=topstory

BookExpo America 2009: Speed Dating with Authors, Illustrators
By Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 6/2/2009

Those attending this year’s Book Expo America in New York from May 29-31 had a chance to speed date—with their favorite children’s authors and illustrators.


Sharon Draper shows off her Sassy sack.

Some 23 children’s book creators took part in the event, sponsored by the Children’s Book Council, which involved spending three minutes talking about their latest book and the creative process behind it before jumping to another table.

Sharon Draper introduced her new character Sassy (Scholastic, 2009), the nine-year-old character in her new series, by bringing along her patchwork Sassy Sack filled with super glue, lip gloss, and paperclips, which Sassy uses to help her friends out of various difficult situations.

Newbery Medalist, Linda Sue Park handed out blue baseball caps with the name of her book Keeping Score (Clarion, 2008) emblazoned across the front. The story, set during the 1950s Korean War, is about a girl who loves the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Holly Black brought along geek candy and nerd pocket protectors to pitch Geektastic (Little, Brown, 2009), a collection of short stories from various authors, including Garth Nix, John Green, and Scott Westerfeld.

Illustrators Michael Rex (Goodnight Goon, Penguin, 2008) and cartoonists, James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost (Adventures in Cartooning, Roaring Brook, 2009) all drew three minute sketches as they spoke about their latest books.



After 90 minutes of table hopping the authors and illustrators were exhausted, and more than 100 of their “prospective dates” anxious to try out their new books. There didn’t seem to be any telephone numbers exchanged.