PART #1
Earlier this spring, I was talking to Lorie Barber from Anderson Bookshop about a different project. And, she told me about LITapalooza – a first ever cool literature event that Anderson’s was hosting in June in Chicago. She encouraged me to sign up……oh my goodness. Thank you, Lorie for so many things.
First of all, it was the most incredible professional event I’ve ever attended.
- keynote with Jerry Craft
- over 50 authors/illustrators in the same place
- over 500+ educators
- being able to purchase books at a 20% discount
- panel discussions with authors/illustrators
- educator led discussions
So, what made this one so different?
First of all, Jerry Craft was beyond BRILLIANT. His poignant message, honesty, and powerful story need to be HEARD around the world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Everyone ….and I mean everyone was genuine. I was walking down the hallway and Raj Halder and I just started talking about his upcoming book “This Book is Banned.” My friend, Cindy, was in the food truck line with Gordon Korman and they were just chatting casually. Those conversations were happening everywhere – in the hallways, before/after/during sessions, while getting coffee or getting your books autographed.
During the sessions on Wednesday, authors/illustrators teamed with educators to lead panel discussions about topics people chose to talk about. Lauren Tarshis, Rhonda Jenkins and I led a session on “Book Reports are Dead”.
The atmosphere was one of WE…We are in this wonderful world of reading together.
I do believe it’s one of the reasons I’ve always appreciated humans in the world of children’s literature is because not only are they talented, but they are so kind, open and willing to share.
In a session with Gordon Korman, Lauren Tarshis, Sarah Aronson, Scott Reintgen, and Michael Leali, the conversation was centered on how do we support each other – teachers to authors/illustrators AND authors/illustrators to educators. Talk about a powerful dialogue back and forth! Multiple real life stories and ideas, all for with the purpose of helping students find books they love.
By the way, Twitter was mentioned multiple times as one way to communicate and share how we’re using certain titles in the classroom. Authors/illustrators can quickly respond which always creates enthusiasm in the classroom as students see how much these professionals care about their audience.
Anderson Bookshops. I’ve always loved this gem of an Indie bookshop. They give back so much and bring amazing authors/illustrators to their stores.
But, wow……Lorie Barber, Steph McHugh, Katie Reilley and the crew of volunteers rocked this out of the park. Their intentional planning covered every detail and made the event so easy to navigate. Did I tell you that the early registration fee only was $15 and that you got $15 in free merchandise in the pop-up bookstore? Every one of their 50+ volunteers/staff radiated energy, happiness, and helpfulness the entire time. It was truly infectious.
So, let’s just say my heart is beyond FULL of gratitude and energy and ideas. And, my kitchen table is also full of all the books I purchased and got autographed. THAT was amazing as well.
LITapalooza 2024 is set for July 25 and 26th. I’m just saying, put it on your calendar now!
STAY TUNED for future blog posts which will include:
- New favorite authors/illlustrators I discovered at LITapalooza
- INQUIRY for students – what we need to be doing in our classrooms
- Books you don’t want to miss
- Favorite quotes from authors/illustrators at LITapalooza
