Geeking Out at ILA Part 2- Author Meetup

I've been thinking and reflecting on my learning since returning almost a week ago. I can't wait to share some of the new things I learned with my teachers.

Today, I want to talk about a few authors that I had the chance to see and hear. Out of sheer luck, I ended up with a ticket to Saturday's Author Meetup where I had the opportunity to listen to and ask questions of 6 authors/illustrators in a round-table setting. Just amazing to hear how for so many, it was a teacher calling them and author and valuing their stories that lead to their future career.

Sheila Turnage, author of the Newbery honor book, Three Times Lucky. She spoke to us about her newest book in the series, The Odds of Getting Even. Listening to her talk about her main character, Miss Moses LoBeau, it was almost as if she were real. Mo is real to her and her connection to her character was inspiring. I can't wait to start the series.

C. Alexander London was hilarious to listen to. His crazy energy was contagious. I almost felt like he was acting the overview of his book. He wrote his newest book, The Wild Ones, for his 10-year-old self. (I imagine him as the grown-up version of my 5-year-old son!) 

Kathleen Krull was fascinating to hear. She writes a lot of literary nonfiction including the Women Who Broke the Rules series. She told us, "I prefer to write about dead people." She is always on the lookout for interesting women to research and write about.