ALA 2013 Chicago: Epilogue (long, but with pictures!)*

What an exhilarating, exhausting, whirlwind of a conference!!!

While I didn't force my business cards on every person I came in contact with- I traded with a few select folks.  I even attended a session on bragging/selling yourself- and couldn't even bring myself to give those in attendance the card with my blog on it.  Sarah Dawn Fail.  I used to be so good at talking to strangers.

Cliffs Notes version, with pictures:

Went to opening session. Watched our Board Member get an award. Steven D. Levitt (Freakonomics) spoke. Exhibits opened- mass chaos. 

Went to a dinner at The Gage, hosted by Scholastic publishers. Networked with some other Illinois Children's Librarians. 

Got up bright and early. Saw Spotlight on Gene Yang, with Thien Pham. Got their autographs (and got my copy of Saints signed!)

Went to a session on Crossover Fiction, and got to meet Amanda Sun of INK! (review here)

Wandered the exhibits, got my copy of Stitches signed by David Small, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. And finally bought Hugo and got it signed by Brian Selznick.

Went to Fearlessly Leading session (where I failed to sell myself, as mentioned earlier). Then went to my UWM-SOIS reunion.

Woke early again, went to session on Caldecott books for storytimes; Buzz Books featuring VIZ media (they're coming out with a Hello Kitty graphic novel series!) and then met the lovely Francesca Lia Block (Girl Goddess #9 is one of those books I could re-read forever).  

More sessions, and then- oh, and then- the Newbery Caldecott Wilder Awards banquet!  Clad in a cocktail dress and grey Chucks, I walked over to the Sheraton where it was being held.  With a Calde-cocktail in hand, I accompanied my boss to the VIP reception where I got to hobnob (aka stare in awkward fangirl glory) with ALA Past Presidents, and folks like Jon Klassen (This is Not My Hat, Extra Yarn), Mac Barnett (Extra Yarn), David Small (One Cool Friend), Brian Selznick (Hugo, Wonderstruck), and Peter Brown (Creepy Carrots).  Then got to talk to Brian Selznick about my friends' son, who is a huge fan. And laughed til I cried at Jon Klassen's Caldecott acceptance speech; same for Katherine Applegate's Newbery speech (One and Only Ivan).  Then fell in love with Katherine Paterson, who received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. 

[with Brian Selznick- and his awesome outfit]

Woke early again, attended a session, got in line for a Jon Klassen signing- they had sold out of This is Not My Hat (sad buckets...). Got another book by him, and got it signed; then stood in line for Extra Yarn. Jon remembered me from the previous signing (a relief, since it was a mere 45 minutes earlier). 

[Me, Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen]

Attended a session where my friend Nick was quoted on a slide (we've known each other since the pre-librarian days- college and grad school together; realized we work a mere 20ish miles apart; didn't realize we were in the same session til the next day). Went back to hotel- had a burger and Bloody Mary and crashed for about 3 hours.

Woke early for the last time- took the shuttle to McCormick Place and captured the week in a picture. 

Attended Closing Session with ALA President and Octavia Spencer, who has a middle-grade children's book coming out!  

Took cab to train station, grabbed the essential bag of Garrett's Chicago Mix, and took train home to my husband and Boston the wonder-dog (who greeted me with a simultaneous sucker-punch to the boob and giraffe tongue lick to the face).

An amazing experience.  Though they probably don't know it, I have mentors within the library field now.  People I know I can contact for advice and such.  I have so many ideas for my library now, and am overwhelmed with excitement/terror at implementing them.  But first...sleep.  Some much needed sleep.

Have a Happy 4th of July!!!  Book reviews to resume soon!

*clearly I need formatting help

Ink

Kami, Kendo, Yakuza...just the beginnings of INK by Amanda Sun- the first of The Paper Gods YA series.

Katie Greene is newly orphaned, and has moved across the world to Japan to live with her aunt.  She becomes attracted to the school's kendo superstar, Yuu Tomohiro.  However, when she's around him, drawings and doodles come to life (like, snails coming at her with snapping teeth from a homework page).  Turns out Tomo is connected to the kami, the ancient Shinto spirits. The Yakuza are after him, wanting to use his abilities.  As the two get closer, things get out of control.  The result is a power struggle that will stir the core of Japan, and the core of Yuu.

***

I really, really liked this book.  Having been on an obsessive (to my husband's chagrin) manga kick & K/J-Drama kick the past 8-or-so months, I kept comparing the story to those- and it totally lined up.  There's a Cherry Blossom viewing scene that could've been taken right out of Honey and Clover.  Plus, all of the awesome mythology!

Amanda Sun was great at bringing in cultural Japanese "stuff."  Honorifics, slippers, the Yakuza, school children cleaning the school, viewing the sakura when they bloom, after school activities, the crazy neon kanji on Japanese TV shows...and the food, oh the food!  Thanks manga for educating me on okonomiyaki, Anpanman [pictured in my Pictures page], etc- I didn't even have to check the glossary to know what they were eating.  It pretty much makes you hungry through the whole book.  And really makes you want to go eat your way through Japan.  Not in Godzilla fashion, though...

It is kind of your typical outcast girl meets bad boy story- however, bringing in the Japanese mythology and cultural dynamic gives it something extra.  Enough of a twist to make it interesting/different.

I love how Sun put the romanized Japanese in italics, and had a glossary in the back.  It was much more effective than not having ANY definitions, or inundating the page with parenthetical definitions.  The pages also have flip sketches at the bottoms that go along with themes in the book.  There are sketches and paintings included in the novel, bringing it even more to life.  The cover is just beautiful- I love the color scheme, and the dripping ink.  There's also a Q&A at the back, with the author and artists; book discussion questions are included.

[sidenote: You know when you're reading, and you come across something and are really excited because you already know what it's referencing?  I may have done that with the mention of dango.  I learned what this was after viewing the credits of the anime Clannad (and the song has been my ringtone for months).  So, for your viewing pleasure- The Happy Dango Family!]

This YA novel is great for those interested in Japanese culture, mythology and food; also for those who like supernatural romances and Manga.  I'm super-excited for the next installment!  



INK is published by Harlequin Teen.  ARC graciously provided by the Publisher.
Release Date: 06.25.2013