In Brief: December 2

Can Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley still be considered wimpy when he’s 60 feet long and 56 feet tall? Those are the dimensions of the brand-new Wimpy Kid parade balloon that debuted last Thursday at the 84th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. Author Jeff Kinney and his family were among the thousands in attendance. So was 12-year-old Rome Perrigrino of Henderson, Nev. (seen here); Perrigrino was the winner of a sweepstakes Abrams held to bring one fan and three friends/family members to NYC for the parade. More than 10,000 Wimpy Kid fans entered the contest.

Author Kate DiCamillo (The Tale of Despereaux; The Mysterious Journey of Edward Tulane) has won the 2010 Milner Award, which is chosen annually by Fulton County and City of Atlanta elementary schoolchildren who vote for their favorite living author. DiCamillo (l.), accepting the award here from librarian Judy White, appeared before 950 Atlanta-area children on November 17, discussing her life and writing during a pair of events at the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System’s Central Library and at the Rialto Center for the Arts.

Debut author Colleen Houck embarked on a three-day pre-pub tour last month in support of her forthcoming YA novel Tiger’s Curse, first in a trilogy that will be published in 2011. Tiger’s Curse, about a teenager who is drawn to a mysterious white tiger, is the first book from Sterling’s new Splinter imprint. On the tour, Houck met with booksellers in Portland, Seattle, and Los Angeles; here the author (center) is seen with Pam Erlandson (l.) and Kira Porten from Portland’s A Children’s Place. Tiger’s Curse goes on sale January 11, with the sequels to follow later in the year.

On November 11, the Children’s Book Council’s Early Career Committee hosted its seventh annual Extreme Trivia Challenge, which pits publishing professionals against each other in a battle of children’s book knowledge. Hosts Holly Black and Cassandra Clare quizzed participants on questions such as “What book features shape-shifting aliens called Vermicious Knids?” and, in the “What-Would-Harry-Potter-Do?” category, “A Mountain Troll is attacking you. Fend it off!” Winners took home golden bunny trophies, a nod to the abundance of rabbits in children’s books; this year’s winners show off their trophies here with Black (l.) and Clare (center).