Alex Flinn, author of Beastly (HarperCollins, 2007): from the YA Authors Cafe.

From Page to Screen” David Cunningham’s ‘The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising‘ by Claire E. Gross from The Horn Book.

Diane Greenseid: Sporadic Thoughts and Activities of a Children’s Book Illustrator. Diane’s books include Waynetta and the Cornstalk: A Texas Fairy Tale by Helen Ketteman (Albert Whitman, 2007). See more titles.

Free Autographed Bookplates from Children’s and YA Authors, or How to Get Your Book “Autographed” by an Author by Cheryl Rainfield. Features information on YA/teen authors, picture book authors, and other children’s authors. See also Teen Books that Have Something to Say from Cheryl.

U.S. names entries for IBBY Honour List from the International Reading Association. The following titles will represent the U.S. on the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honour List: Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles (Harcourt, 2005)(recommendation) in the author category; Jazz (Holiday House, 2006), written by Walter Dean Myers and illustrated by Christopher Myers, in the illustration category; and Emil and Karl (Roaring Brook Press, 2006), written by Yankev Glathteyn and translated by Jeffrey Shandler, in the translation category.

Character Building with Alma Fullerton: a chat transcript from the Institute of Children’s Literature. Visit Alma’s site.

Children’s Book Blog Tours: “children’s book authors and illustrators now on blog tours” from Anastasia Suen.

Children’s Book Blogs Workshop: a five-day email course by Anastasia Suen for children’s authors and illustrators who want to learn about blogging.

Hot Off the Press: A Sneak Peek at Publishers’ Newest and Hottest Titles from CBC Magazine.

Robert’s Snow for Cancer’s Cure

Robert’s Snow is an online auction that benefits Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. More than 200 children’s book illustrators have created art on individual snowflake-shaped wooden templates. Please stop by to view all the 2007 snowflakes here.

Interviews and features on participating illustrators are being posted throughout the kidlitospher. Just for fun, I’d like to highlight:

The First Snow: Don Tate from The Silver Lining. Read a Cynsations interview with Don.

See also illustrator interviews and/or features on: Rick Chrustowski at laurasalas; Diane DeGroat at Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup; Ilene Richard at Something Different Every Day; Brie Spangler at Lectitans; Brooke Dyer at Bookshelves of Doom; D.B. Johnson at Lessons from the Tortoise; Erin Eitter Kono at Sam Riddleburger; Sherry Rogers at A Life in Books; Jennifer Thermes at Through the Studio Door; Graeme Base at Just One More Book; Denise Fleming at MotherReader; Jeff Mack at AmoXcalli; Jeff Newman at A Year of Reading; Ruth Sanderson at Book Moot; Linas Alsenas at A Wrung Sponge; Theresa Brandon at The Shady Glade; Karen Katz at Whimsy Books; Judy Schachner at Kate’s Book Blog; Sally Vitsky at Shelf Elf: read, write, rave; Matthew Cordell at Just Like the Nut; Maxwell Eaton III at Books and Other Thoughts; Roz Fulcher at Goading the Pen; Susie Jin at sruble’s world; and Susan Mitchell at Check It Out. Note: I’m catching up from having been off-line while on the road, so you may have to scroll a bit, but that will give you the opportunity to check out some of these wonderful blogs! See also Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast (and other youth literature blogs) for more coverage!

Note to Blog Readers about Blogging for a Cure from Wild Rose Reader. Details the purely logistical reasons while some participating illustrators are featured and others aren’t.

More Personally

I spoke to a boo-fest bevy of teen (and grown-up) fiends at the Plano Public Library (outside Dallas) Oct. 13 about Gothic fantasy literature and Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007). The event room was gorgeously decorated with (paper) candles hanging from the ceiling, a Sanguini’s table set up (cake, punch, nuts, etc.), signs tying into the book, tombstones, pin-the-tail on the werewolf, a smoke machine, strobe lights, and much much, more. In addition, stations were set up for temporary tattoos (fang and scratch marks), buttons (chapter titles represented were “predator,” “prey,” “Fangs Are Us” and “Baby Got Bite”), and photos of the much-costumed guests. I also was presented a corsage (complete with teeth), and a gift bag filled with a Gothtini, framed event announcement, mug, candies, and pen. The event opened with the stations and food. Then I offered a PowerPoint presentation on my own book and recommended several other YA Gothic fantasies. We wrapped up with a signing, costume contest judging, and giveaways. Note: I don’t feature kid/teen photos online without permission, but we had a boisterous, gloriously vamp-ish crowd. Thanks to Deban and pals for a spooky fantastic event!

Plan to attend the Twenty-Fifth Annual Children’s Book Festival and the Twenty-First Annual Young Adult Conference hosted by The Department of Library Science at Sam Houston State University Nov. 3 in Huntsville. Featured speakers are: Joan Bauer, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, and Mo Willems.

Attending the Texas Book Festival Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 in Austin? I will be among the YA authors featured at the Not-For-Required Reading Event from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar (1120 S. Lamar). Authors also will include: Sherman Alexie, Jacques Couvillon, Adrienne Kress, April Lurie (author interview), Perry Moore, Neal Shusterman, and Brian Yansky (author interview). Note: I’ll be a little late as I’m driving in from Huntsville that evening with Greg and Mo. I’ll also participate with authors Adrienne Kress and April Lurie on the “Tough Girls” panel, moderated by author Julie Lake, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 4 in Capitol Extension Room E2.012. See schedules for Saturday and Sunday.

Reminder: Attention MySpacers! On the online events front, I’m honored to be featured as one of 31 Flavorite Authors by the Readergirlz on Oct. 29! I’ll be chatting about Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007).