This week, the VlogBrothers go live at NerdCon; E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler turns 50; Kat Yeh reads aloud on Live Stream; author Angie Thomas shares a warm moment with her mother; Kate Hosford and Gabi Swiatkowska serve up tea and reader’s theater at their book launch; and author P.J. Hoover has her King Tut cake and eats it too.
VlogBrothers Live
Brothers John (l.) and Hank Green took the stage for NerdCon: Nerdfighteria, the first official Nerdfighter convention, held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston on February 25–26. Roughly 3,500 fans attended the convention, which included presentations from authors, illustrators, vloggers, musicians, youth activists, and others. Here, Hank and John create a live recording of their podcast “Dear Hank & John,” during which they offer advice and answer questions from listeners.
Honoring a Children’s Classic
Thalia Kids’ Book Club held a 50th anniversary celebration for E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler at Symphony Space in Manhattan on March 5. Authors (from l.) Chris Grabenstein (Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library), Alex London (The Wild Ones), Wendy Mass (The Candymakers), and Blue Balliett (Chasing Vermeer) took the stage for readings and discussions in honor of the late Konigsburg.
Aloud and Clear
Authors, illustrators, booksellers, librarians, and other members of the picture book community took part in a KidLit Live Stream Read Aloud event through Facebook Live on March 3. Around 40 people read picture books aloud in honor of National Reading Month. Here, Kat Yeh reads from her picture book The Friend Ship. Seen from the back are (from l.) author-illustrators Adam Auerbach and Tim Miller; Joel Grayson, Books of Wonder bookseller; and author-illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky, waiting in the wings for their turns to read. Alex Swerdlow of KidLit TV helms the camera. Julie Gribble of KidLit TV and Erica Rand Silverman of Stimola Literary Studio organized the live stream, which was viewed by more than 3,000 people.
The Love U Give
Author Angie Thomas celebrated the release of her debut novel The Hate U Give (Balzer + Bray) at Lemuria Books, her local indie bookstore in Jackson, Miss., on February 28. Fans, friends, family members, and fellow authors attended, including authors Becky Albertalli and Nic Stone. But here, Thomas hugs her most important guest of all—her mother.
The Perfect Cup
Author Kate Hosford and illustrator Gabi Swiatkowska launched their picture book, How the Queen Found the Perfect Cup of Tea (Carolrhoda), at Books of Wonder in Manhattan on March 3. Hosford (center l.) and Swiatkowska (center r.) staged a theatrical reading of the book. Joining them for the reader’s theater were a young fan from the audience and Elizabeth Moullé-Berteaux, a friend who also dressed the part of the Queen. Guests enjoyed tea and food from around the world, in keeping with the themes in the book.
King Tut!
Author P.J. Hoover celebrated the release of Tut: My Epic Battle to Save the World at BookPeople in Austin on March 4. In honor of the occasion, children’s author-illustrator and “Cakelustrator” Akiko White created a King Tut-themed cake. In the photo, Hoover (l.) and White spend some quality time with the cake before cutting into it.
