BOOK SIGNING AT ALA in WASHINGTON, DC

In the Junior Library Guild booth at ALA in Washington, DC

I had a great day on Saturday at ALA in Washington, DC, signing KEEPER OF THE LIGHT in the Abrams booth and PLANTING A GARDEN in the Charlesbridge booth, and cruising the aisles of the exhibit hall to see all the publishers' new books! 

In  the Abrams booth at ALA

Many thanks to Nina Greuner, publisher of Cameron Kids, and everyone in the Abrams booth for hosting me in the booth and keeping the signing line going smoothly. 

In the Charlesbridge booth at ALA

And thanks to Donna Spurlock, Meg Quinn, Lindsay and Jaliza, and everyone in the Charlesbridge booth for coordinating my signing there. At both booths we ran out of books before the hour was over! It was great meeting librarians from so many places.

I also stopped by the Junior Library Guild booth and posed for a photo with PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6 which was a Spring selection.

Everyone in the convention center was required to be vaccinated and wear a mask (although I took mine off briefly for the photos.) Everyone, including me, seemed happy to be at a live, real person event!

AOB ZOOM VISIT AT TRUESDELL ELEMENTARY, Washington, D.C.

Last Wednesday, I spoke via Zoom to three eager classes of kindergarten students at Truesdell Elementary School in Washington, D.C. and enjoyed it very much  

The visit was sponsored by An Open Book Foundation (AOB), which brings authors to schools and then gives each child a copy of the author’s book. After my talk, every child received an autographed copy of my new book PLANTING A GARDEN IN ROOM 6: From Seeds to Salad. (I sent signed book plates ahead of time.) I found out that the school playground had just been redone and now the children have planted a school garden. So the book was very apropos!

I also shared the other Room 6 books, HATCHING CHICKS IN ROOM 6 and BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6, as well as WIGGLE AND WAGGLE. The kids helped me sing the Wiggle and Waggle song and followed along with the hand motions. At the end of the program they asked lots of questions and couldn’t wait  to receive their books.

Many thanks to AOB and to my publisher, Charlesbridge, for helping to arrange this visit. And special thanks to Angela Brooks and Dara La Porte at AOB, and to Eboni Henry, the school librarian!

Check the website of An Open Book Foundation to find out about all the wonderful things they do to connect authors and children and to promote books and reading..

MARCH for SCIENCE, Washington, D.C., There is No Plan-et B!

March for Science, Constitution Avenue, Washington, D.C.

“TODAY’S KIDS: TOMORROW’S SCIENTISTS, Children’s Book Authors March for Science” and “SUPPORT SCIENCE EDUCATION, K-12 and Beyond”. Those were my signs for the march. Saturday, April 22, was celebrated as Earth Day, March for Science around the world in 600 locations, raising awareness of the importance of science, science education, and scientific research for the future of our world. In Washington, D.C., I joined a reported 75,000 marchers, along with my husband Art, a neuroscientist, and three friends, for a walk from the Washington Monument at one end of the Mall, down Constitution Avenue to the Capitol.

Art, wearing his UCLA Neuroscience t-shirt, and Caroline with her sign

A sea of signs

The crowd included young people, old people, students, researchers, educators, activists, a drummer, two dinosaurs, someone dressed as Galileo carrying a long cardboard telescope, some wearing lab coats, some sporting knitted brain hats,  parents pushing strollers, many wearing hats and t-shirts with logos, and all kinds of signs. Despite a steady rain, nobody’s spirits were dampened. It was a day to be counted and for voices to be heard. There is no plan-et B!
Here are a few of the many marchers and signs.

Dinosaur carrying sign: "The comet was a Chinese hoax."

We saw  knitted brain hats in pink and gray

Signs: Earth to Trump and Science Brings Us Together

Three great men march for science