Received the world’s cutest cared from Candlewick Press, which featured illustrations from My Penguin Osbert by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, illustrated by H.B. Lewis (2004) and the Harcourt catalog as well as Let’s Talk about Race by Julius Lester (my most searing intellectual crush), illustrated by Karen Barbour (Harper/Amistad, 2005).

In other news: editor Michael Stearns is leaving Harcourt for Harper; Random House is selling its own books (much to the annoyance of B&N); and Louis Sachar has left Frances Foster to do his Holes sequel at Delacorte.

Ick thought of the day: The mid list is disappearing faster than the middle class.