Back from Charlotte Huck Festival...

What a wonderful festival!  I heard Kristine O'Connell George, Linda Sue Park, Ashley Bryan, Pat Cummings, Darwin Henderson, Leonard Marcus, Kerry Madden, Susan Goldman Rubin, Phil Yeh and yeah, I spoke too.  But one of the beautiful things about this particular conference as a presentor, is that I got to hear these folks talk too.  And I left inspired.  Truly inspired.  (And I desperately want some of Ashley Bryan's beach glass windows . . . He is such a Renaissance Man -- does everything in an effort to grow, and live fully.  I started thinking of him as Mr. Life in my head.)  ALL the speakers were truly wonderful and it was such an honor to be included in their company.

And I'd like to say that the attenders were equally (if not more) wonderful. The recession is hitting California libraries and schools HARD.  (People were talking about libraries closing, cutting back days open, volunteers replacing librarians in the libraries... whoa.) These women came out anyway -- they are the cream of the crop, the people for whom children's literature and literacy is truly their passion. Talking to them inspired me greatly!

Thank you Charlotte Huck Festival!  

[Photos: California as seen by a Chicago girl.  And I got a fresh grapefruit -- WOW.  So, so, good . . . By the way, It was 18 degrees when I flew out of Chicago, so I appreciated the beautiful spring weather of Redlands. ]