Hello Everyone,
I was extremely excited to hear and meet author Katherine Applegate at the Main branch of my city’s Free Public Library on February 17, 2016. Her talk was mostly geared towards the children in attendance and gave information about the writing of The One and Only Ivan, the 2013 winner of the Newberry award, and her latest book Crenshaw. She discussed how being a writer is a wonderful yet weird job, that she is paid to be a “slob” and a “liar,” which garnered laughter from the adult members of the audience. To the children, she said you can write about anything if you only use the two words “what” and “if,” so there is now no excuse when a teacher says to write about something. Sometimes you write a couple of pages, and there is only one gem that will stay in the story, so you shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s really the best part of writing, because then you’re learning. She confessed she did not enjoy reading as a child and was not interested in books or writing until she was older and finally found some “book best friends” like Charlotte’s Web. To those in the audience secretly wanting to write children’s books, she suggested we join a chapter of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators to network with other writers and find potential editors and publishers. (There is a regional chapter in Indiana but not in my state.) I believe her talk was recording and hope it will be available on the library’s website.
After her presentation and a Q&A session, she held a signing session. I went with my personal copies of The One and Only Ivan, and Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of a Shopping Mall Gorilla and my placement library media center’s copy of Ivan: The Remarkable True Story. Considering I had already decided I would have the library copy signed if it was one copy per person, I was thrilled she was able to sign all three for me and agreed to having our picture taken with one of the picture books! When I mentioned my kids would be ecstatic to know I had met her, she asked if I was a teacher, to which I replied that I was studying to be a librarian. She said “librarians are the best” and wished me well as I finish my master’s degree.
