New Page on Author and Illustrator Source

We are still in the thick of summer, but educators may already be trying to schedule events for the coming academic year.

With that in mind, I would call to your attention Author and Illustrator Source, an extensive listing of (you guessed it) published authors and illustrators who make school visits and presentations, with contact information, rates and types of presentations offered. Presenters are listed both alphabetically and geographically, with biographical paragraphs and information on their titles. Areas represented include picture books, chapter books, non-fiction, poetry and virtually every type of children's and young adult literature you can imagine.

My page, which you can find here, lists my rates and possible presentation formats. I am in the unusual position of being able to offer programs for both children and adults, and I hope to do so at book festivals as well as school visits in the months ahead.

Photographs from Book Expo America

The pictures from Book Expo America have arrived, and they can be found here. You can view the pictures as thumbnails or as a slide show. In either case, you can see a few copies of The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo on display, and you can see evidence that I traveled with my sombrero, as everyone should.

At Booth 718 in the Chilldren's Pavilion I had the pleasure of meeting fellow Raven Tree Press authors Tim Hoppey and Janice Levy, shown at their signings, and publisher Dawn Jeffers.

Promoting a book is much different than writing a book, but both offer their own pleasures.

A Message from Our Friends at RIF

Since the people of Reading Is Fundamental were kind enough to give away so many copies of The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo recently, the very least I can do for them is to spread the word about the 2009 Read with Kids Challenge, which began on April 1 and continues until June 30. Participants in the challenge are encouraged to log the amount of time they read with children, and the goal for participants nationwide is to record a total of 5 million minutes of reading, with chances to win a variety of prizes.

The link above and the illustration below will explain this better than I can.

People can even form reading teams in support of their favorite authors. Now there's an idea.

Anarchy in the Pre-K! (Now with Pictures)

Visit accomplished! I have proof, thanks to Chris Clardy of the Brooksfield School.

And on the morning of April 1 there were indeed sombreros, one full-sized and another, too small even for the kids, that could maybe fit a very patient guinea pig or rabbit.

There were two sessions. The first was with what I was told were 57 or 58 three to five-year-olds. They are very small and move fast, so I wasn't able to count them myself. The second was with about two dozen six to eight-year-olds, who aren't as small but move even faster.

I have two appearances scheduled in May, which I'll discuss soon, and tomorrow I plan to post a message from our friends at Reading Is Fundamental.

Until then, I welcome your guesses as to what I am holding in my right hand in the last picture.

Mariachi Roundup

After his whirlwind trip to San Antonio, where he was unharmed by either unseasonably cold weather or the chupacabra, Gustavo kept his sombrero on and managed a successful week.

Last night I learned that the Tucson Citizen (free, registration required) has listed The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo as the first pick in a story entitled "Bilingual Books for Children Just in Time for the Holiday Season."

Two other positive reviews have appeared on specialized sites, one on on MyShelf.com and another on the modestly named yet very well-written site Mary's Blog. In addition, M. Tretiakova has written a very positive customer review on the Amazon.com page of the bilingual edition.

As if that weren't enough, I have learned that the newest country for online sales is Colombia, at Megastoregroup.com.

One theme emerging from the reviews is that boys are particularly taking to this book. For a variety of reasons it can be hard to get boys interested in books, so I am glad to help.

A couple of other non-Mariachi items should be coming up in the days ahead, including one that I am not yet at liberty to discuss . . .

Live from San Antonio, Parte Dos!

Today's reading at Borders at the Quarry in San Antonio went very well, thanks to booksellers Joanna and Angel and a wonderful audience of both adults and children.

I also had the opportunity to speak to adults and children at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium.

Pictures from both events will appear in this very blog, and we'll see what comes of being in the audience for tonight's performance by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan.

Latest Mariachi Review

Some reviewers have unique rating systems.

Friend and blogger Judy Turner Williamson, wife of my friend the novelist and critic Eric Miles Williamson, reports the latest assessment from her two-year-old son:

Turner wanted his little sombrero down off the rack. He put it on his head, then ran around saying " 'Achi in the WORLD!" It took me a minute to realize he was pretending to be little Gustavo. Just now he climbed on my lap and saw the picture of your book, said "Achi Achi Achi in the world" and kissed the picture.

You have one little fan in South Texas!

Moments like that are why we write for children.