On Saturday, the 17th, I spent the day in Red Wing, MN, at the Anderson Center for the Minnesota Children’s Book Festival. Lisa Bullard and I both manned the So You Want to Be an Author tent. We spent the buggy afternoon talking with adults who want to write for kids and also writing poems with young writers. It was kind of hard to compete with The Bug Man in the tent next door and all the cool art tents–and a guy in basketball shorts with Egyptian garb on his upper half ringing a bell loudly every 10 minutes and announcing the next author event, but the kids and adults who needed a breather from noise and balloons found their way to us. Here are a few pics from the day.
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- Ryley was my first brave poet of the day. She was so excited to be at the festival and told me all about how cool it is to have a librarian for a mom:>) No surprise there!
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- I especially love Ryley’s line, “Dance to the trees whispering in the wind.” If I were a mountain, that’s what I would want to do!
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- Kids weren’t the only poets. Sometimes parents and kids wrote together. Other times, teens or adults created a little magnetic magic on their own.
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- Monica’s ship is whispering, “Don’t sink me!” The young poets were so awesome.
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- I didn’t get out the tent much, but it was lovely to browse through the display of original art from children’s books, including this blazing spread from Lauren Stringer’s new book, YELLOW TIME. Can’t wait to read it!
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- Here’s Nancy Carlson signing the new board book version of I LIKE ME. This was one of Annabelle’s favorite books as a toddler, and I love that Nancy’s books are so long-lived.
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- Magnetic poems ranged from complex to simple to profound.
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- Lisa Bullard (r.) and I together mentor children’s writers through Mentors for Rent. So the So You Want to Be an Author tent was a natural fit for us at the Minnesota Children’s Book Festival.
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- I set up a magnetic poetry board in our booth, and many poets left their mark throughout the day.
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- Marley was a blast to work with. He had all sorts of good ideas and stories about his life and a penchant for rainbow lettering.
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- Miranda shares her poem. I love that the mountain dreams of being taller than Mt. Everest!
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- Miranda’s poem
Sounds as if you had a wonderful day. How lucky the lucky participants to visit your booth!