This week, authors are recognized for diverse books, a YA author is joined by her editor, two middle grade authors have an eventful time, a classic children’s book artist is given a retrospective, and a YA author is inducted into an intergalactic defense squad.
The recipients of We Need Diverse Books’ inaugural Walter Award, given to a book by a diverse author that features diverse characters or addresses diversity, gathered with WNDB leaders and others after the awards ceremony held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on March 18. This year’s Walter went to the young adult novel All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. The judges also selected two Walter honor books: Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings by Margarita Engle and X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon. Pictured here, from l., Magoon, Engle, Kiely, Dhonielle Clayton, Kathie Weinberg, Reynolds, Ellen Oh, Chris Myers, Jon Scieszka, and Shabazz. Photo: Thien-Kim Lam.
The American Booksellers Association met with the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis for a day of discussion on March 16, followed by literary speed-dating with a dozen authors, who later signed books for the 60 booksellers present. Author E.K. Johnson, center, flanked by Penguin children’s books rep Jill Nadeau and her editor, Andrew Karre, signed copies of her YA novel, Exit, Pursued by a Bear. Photo: Claire Kirch.
British comedian, actor, and author David Walliams (Demon Dentist) visited Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney’s bookstore An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Mass., on March 13. Kinney moderated the event and asked Walliams questions, while playing a game in which Walliams (l.) described a character and Kinney (r.) drew it, for an audience of 200.
Celebrating the March 12 opening of an exhibition of illustrator Leonard Weisgard’s work, Magician of the Modern, at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art were (from l. to r.,) Nick Clark, Ellen Keiter, Abigail Weisgard, Leonard S. Marcus, Alexandra Kennedy, Ethan Weisgard, Christina Weisgard, and Peter Roos. Marcus curated the exhibition, and was joined by the artist’s adult children Ethan, Abigail and Christina at the celebration of what would have been Weisgard’s 100th birthday.
Author and Star Wars fangirl Cecil Castellucci was inducted as an honorary member by the 501st Central Garrison/Wolf Pack Squad for her work on Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure (Disney Lucasfilm Press). The ceremony took place onMarch 19 in Roseville, Minn., at the HarMar Mall Barnes and Noble.
