Independent children's booksellers flew south for the summer, to attend the ABA’s fourth Children’s Institute, held in Orlando, Fla. The whirlwind two days of educational sessions, keynote speeches, author signings, publisher dinners, and occasional side trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are documented below.
These booksellers are ready for that galley room to open! (From l.) Mary Alice Garber of Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C., Cindy Brewer and Carol Moyer of Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh, N.C., and Elizabeth Sher of Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass.
Adam Gidwitz (The Inquisitor’s Tale) and Jay Asher (What Light) meet before a signing.
Real-life booksellers (from l.) Aubrey Restifo (Northsire Bookstore, Manchester Center, Vt.), Leah Moore (Northshire Bookstore, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), Emmy Widener and Brandi Stewart (both of Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix, Ariz.) visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter imaginary bookseller Screed & Sons in Universal Studios.
This year’s CI4 hosted a backlist book swap, in which booksellers were encouraged to bring their favorite backlist titles, along with shelf talkers, to swap with each other.
Kari-Lynn Winters, author of Good Pirate (Pajama Press), signs a copy of her book.
Attendees got to inspect Townsend Press’s Bess the Book Bus up close.
HarperCollins debut author (and HC staffer!) Booki Vivat isn’t looking too Frazzled as she gets ready to meet booksellers.
After his breakfast keynote speech, author Dave Barry greets fans and draws a contest winner’s name out of a hat, held by Joy Dallanegra-Sanger of the ABA.
The Owlkids team hosted a dinner during CI4. In attendance were (from l., back row) Susan McConnell (PGW), Kristin Rasmussen (Books Inc., San Francisco), Javier Ramirez (Book Table, Oak Park, Ill.), Claire Doornbos (Diesel Books, Larkspur, Calif.), Emmy Widener (Changing Hands, Phoenix, Ariz.); (from l., front row) Judy Brunsek (Owlkids), Brandi Stewart (Changing Hands, Phoenix, Ariz.), and Holly Alexander (Barbara's Books, Chicago).
Mo Willems signs the latest (and last) Elephant & Piggie volume, The Thank You Book (Hyperion).
Disney drew quite a crowd for its dinner, which was hosted in the Canada Pavilion of Epcot in Walt Disney World. Several authors were in attendance, and because of the timing of this year’s Institute, booksellers were able to mingle with librarians newly landed to attend the ALA conference, which kicked off the next day.
Kate Greenaway Medalist William Grill signs copies of his picture book The Wolves of Currumpaw (Flying Eye).
Lois Hanson of Paragraphs Bookstore in Mount Vernon, Ohio, waits in Jory John’s signing line, her arms laden with galleys.
Sonia Patel, author of Rani Patel in Full Effect (Cinco Puntos), takes a break from signing to smile for the paparazzi.
The HarperCollins and Harlequin Teen author dinner joined booksellers and authors (from l., middle row) Melissa de la Cruz, Booki Vivat, Nadia Hashimi, Katharine McGee, and Amy Lukavics.
Author-illustrator David Shannon and Booktender’s Secret Garden bookseller Ellen Mager riding a tractor for Shannon’s new picture book, Duck on a Tractor (Scholastic/Blue Sky).
