Happy July! The month of BBQs, fireworks, and heatwaves. We’re experiencing the latter of those three things right now. We’re staying cool in the A/C and even went ice skating this week to escape the heat. My youngest has discovered a potential new hobby on the ice so we’re contemplating dipping our toes into the world of skating and seeing if she takes to it. Anyone out there a skater or have skating kids? Or any book recommendations about skating?
ALA
This past weekend I hopped on a quick flight down the coast to San Diego for the American Library Association annual conference. It was my first industry conference and I was super nervous about it. But book people truly are the best people and I had nothing to worry about. I met up with so many wonderful authors I’d only seen on video or in their profile photos, connected with librarians and educators, and signed a stack of books.
Union Square & Co. hosted me for a signing for Dear Mr. G and I was thrilled to have so many people turn out to get a copy of the book. I signed and chatted for an hour and it was more than I could have dreamed of. Thank you to everyone who came to see me!
In another long signing line, I talked with a mother and daughter pair, who were both teachers, and I gifted them my copy of Mr. G after they read it and connected with the story so beautifully (there were tears). This small, personal, but impactful interaction will stay with me.
As will all the meaningful conversations with fellow authors at various lunches, in the exhibition hall, and at the 12x12 beach party. Community is so important to me and being with so many creative people this weekend felt like home.
SCBWI Crystal Kite Honor
Another wonderful piece of news in June was that Dear Mr. G won a honor in the SCBWI Crystal Kite awards in the California/Hawaii division. It was a lovely surprise and I’m so grateful to everyone who voted for our book!
Some Favorite Books
This is not an exhaustive list by any means but here are a few favorite books from the past month.
In Touch the Sky, Stephanie Lucianovic perfectly captures the frustration of learning to pump on a swing and how it feels to eventually touch the sky. And I adore Chris Park’s colorful and expressive illustrations.
When You Love a Book is a gorgeous love letter to books and reading with lots of references to the favorite books of childhood. And the illustrations are beautiful!
I love Abby Jimenez’s books and this is the perfect beach read. It’s funny, cute, but it also covers some hard issues for the two main characters. Will their romance be just for the summer?
Craft Corner
Long-time friends will know I was a massive crafter once upon a time. I crocheted a blanket, sewed quilts, stitched clothes, and made cards. But my trusty old sewing machine had been relegated to a closet for years until I decided, about two weeks before ALA, that I need a custom Dear Mr. G bag. I was inspired by Federico Erebia who made a custom bag for his book, Pedro & Daniel.
Lots of people asked me over the weekend how I made mine so here are some very basic instructions and links to more information.
Step 1: Order custom fabric. I uploaded a high resolution copy of my book cover to Spoonflower. On the website you can choose fabric, how you want your image repeated, and the size of the image. I used Petal Signature Cotton and chose a Half Drop Repeat.
Step 2: Find a bag pattern. I based mine on this pattern but I changed the dimensions so it was wider. I just eyeballed it. I used the same material for the outside and the lining. And I made straps from wide strips of the fabric instead of using canvas.
Step 3: Cut the fabric according to your pattern. For the straps I cut two wide straps, folded each long side over a small amount and then folded it in half (again, I didn’t measure so I’m sorry for the imprecise instructions!) The only time I iron anything is when I’m sewing and ironing was essential for this step.
Step 4: Sew according to the instructions. Thankfully my machine, despite its dust, did an amazing job.
Step 5: Show off your creation!
This month on Kidlit Survival Guide we finished up our marketing series and talked about writing humor.
Happy reading and writing, and see you back here soon!
Christine xo
Such a great month for you with ALA and your Crystal Kite Honor. Your bag is fantastic—I may have to copy your idea some day!
That bag is so cool! Pity I can't sew or I'd make one for my upcoming debut.