As we gear up for our only big children’s author event of the summer with the great Kevin Henkes on Saturday, July 25th, I’ve been thinking about all the amazing events we’ve hosted in the past 12 months and how few of them got mentions here. How could I have left you out of the loop on so many? Because when they come this fast and furious there’s rarely enough time left to tend to much else, let alone write lovely photo-laden recaps of each of them.
What follows is the list (and my sincerest apologies if I’ve left anyone out!) of children’s and YA authors and illustrators Wellesley Booksmith hosted, either at our store or elsewhere, between August of 2008 and June of 2009.
Breaking Dawn MIDNIGHT LAUNCH PARTY
Friday, August 1, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Michael Scott – The Magician (Random House)
Monday, Sept. 15, 2008 – school visit at Weston Middle School
Dugald Steer – Monsterology and Spyology (Candlewick)
Friday, Sept. 19, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Gareth Hinds – Beowulf (Candlewick)
Friday, Sept. 19, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Brisingr (Knopf) MIDNIGHT LAUNCH PARTY
Friday, Sept. 19, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Jane Yolen – Sea Queens (Charlesbridge)
Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008 at the Wellesley Free Library
Jane Sutton – The Trouble with Cauliflower (Dial)
Friday, Sept. 26th, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Patrick McDonnell – South (Little, Brown)
Friday, Sept. 26, 2008 – school visit at Hardy Elementary School, Wellesley
Patrick McDonnell – South (Little, Brown)
Friday, Sept. 26, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith|
Below: Patrick ponders a fan’s question while Mooch, with sock in mouth, hollers out the answer: "Yesh!"
Jack Ferraiolo – The Big Splash (Abrams)
Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
A CUPCAKE PARTY for the publication of If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond (HarperCollins)
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008 at Susu’s Bakery Boutique
Joseph Delaney – The Last Apprentice Book 5: The Wrath of the Bloodeye (HarperCollins)
Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
David Shannon – Too Many Toys (Scholastic)
Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Bill Konigsberg – Out of the Pocket (Dutton)
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
A tea party (for humans AND dolls!) for the publication of The Runaway Dolls by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin (Hyperion)
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
David Macaulay – The Way We Work (Houghton Mifflin)
Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 – school visit at Wellesley Middle School
Graeme Base – Enigma: A Magical Mystery (Abrams)
Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Laurie Keller – The Scrambled States of America Talent Show (Holt)
Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
John Green – Paper Towns (Dutton)
Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 – school visit at Dana Hall
Laurie Keller – The Scrambled States of America Talent Show (Holt)
Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 – school visit at Tenacre Country Day School
Laurie Keller – The Scrambled States of America Talent Show (Holt)
Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 – school visit at Bennet-Hemenway Elementary School, Natick
Kate Klise – the Regarding the… series (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Monday, Oct. 20, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Susan Goodman – See How They Run (Bloomsbury)
Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Tomie dePaola – Brava Strega Nona: A Heartwarming Pop Up (Putnam)
Friday, Nov. 7, 2008 at the Wellesley Free Library
Nancy Castaldo – Keeping Our Earth Green (Williamson Books)
Sunday, Nov. 15, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Jacqueline Dembar Greene – Nathan’s Hanukkah Bargain (Pelican)
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
A Costumed Santa! – Priscilla and the Great Santa Search by Nathaniel and Jocelyn Hobbie (Little, Brown)
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Zoe and R.W. Alley – There’s a Wolf at the Door (Roaring Brook)
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 at Wellesley Booksmith
Mo Willems – Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Hyperion)
Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Jonathan Stroud – Heroes of the Valley (Hyperion)
Monday, Jan. 26, 2009 – school visit at Dana Hall
Jonathan Stroud – Heroes of the Valley (Hyperion)
Monday, Jan. 26, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Bruce Hale – Chet Gecko 14: From Russia with Lunch (Harcourt)
Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009 at the Wellesley Free Library
Christopher Bing – Lincoln Shot (Feiwel and Friends)
Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne – Magic Tree House 40: Eve of the Emperor Penguin (Random House)
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009 – public event at Wellesley Middle School
Below: Mary and Will answer a question from one of their many, many, many fans.
Julie Berry – The Amaranth Enchantment (Bloomsbury)
Thursday, March 5, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Mary Amato – Please Write in This Book (Holiday House)
Saturday, March 14, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Terry Golson – Tillie Lays an Egg (Scholastic)
Saturday, March 21, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Erica Perl – Chicken Butt (Abrams)
Sunday, March 22, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Below: Erica Perl signs a Chicken Butt (ha!) for one of her fans, while sporting her signature chicken cap.
Alisa Libby – The King’s Rose (Dutton)
Saturday, March 28, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Terry Golson – Tillie Lays an Egg (Scholastic)
Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2009 – school visit at Tenacre Country Day School
Dora the Explorer (actress portraying character)
Saturday, Apr. 11, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Chris Bradford – The Way of the Warrior (Hyperion)
Friday, Apr. 17, 2009 – school visit at Millis Middle School
Chris Bradford – The Way of the Warrior (Hyperion)
Friday, Apr. 17, 2009 – school visit at Kennedy Middle
S
chool, Natick
Below: Chris Bradford poses with die-hard fan Olivia Van Amsterdam, who had already read his book FIVE times before he paid a visit to her school.
Chris Bradford – The Way of the Warrior (Hyperion)
Friday, Apr. 17, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Mary Ann Hoberman – You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You (Little, Brown)
Saturday, Apr. 18, 2009 at the Hills Branch of the Wellesley Free Library
Anna Alter – What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe? (Holt)
Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Below: In a fun recycling project led by Anna, kids made marigold planters out of old shoes.
T. A. Barron – Merlin’s Dragon (Philomel)
Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Kevin Markey – Super Sluggers, Book 1: Slumpbuster (HarperCollins)
Saturday, Apr. 25, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Ammi Joan Paquette – The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies (Tanglewood Press/NBN)
Saturday, May 2, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Harry Bliss – Luke on the Loose (Toon Books)
Monday, May 4, 2009 – school visit at Tenacre Country Day School
Harry Bliss – Luke on the Loose (Toon Books)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith, co-sponsored by the Foundation for Children’s Books
Catie Copley – Catie Copley’s Great Escape (David Godine)
Friday, May 8, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson 5: The Last Olympian (Hyperion)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 – public event at Wellesley Middle School
Below: Rick stands with several members of our event staff: Jane Kohuth, Mayre Plunkett, me, Kym Havens, Jack Havens, and Gareth Hinds. (Photo by Mayre Plunkett)
Danielle Joseph – Shrinking Violet (MTV Books)
Thursday, May 14, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Megan McDonald – all Judy Moody and Stink Books (Candlewick)
Friday, May 15 2009 – school visits at three local public schools
Megan McDonald – GET MOODY DAY featuring all Judy Moody and Stink Books (Candlewick)
Saturday, May 16, 2009 – public presentation at Hunnewell Elementary School and many Moody activities at the Wellesley Free Library
Below: Megan signs a book for an enthusiastic fans. The people on the patio behind her our enjoying samples of Screamin’ Mimi’s ice cream, flown in from California for the event!
Steve Kluger – My Most Excellent Year (Penguin)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Amy Krause Rosenthal – Little Oink and Duck! Rabbit! (Chronicle Books)
Friday, May 22, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Peter Abrahams – Reality Check (HarperCollins)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Kim Ablon Whitney – The Other Half of Life (Random House)
Saturday, June 13, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Michael Sullivan – The Sapphire Knight (Publishing Works)
Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at Wellesley Booksmith
Whew! Makes me tired (but happy!) just thinking about it.
So far the next 12 months are showing lots of promise too, with E. Lockhart, Judy Schachner, Shannon Hale, Trenton Lee Stewart, E.S. Redmond, Kristin Dempsey and Christopher Denise, and Marla Frazee already on the docket. Let the good times roll!
Wowsa! And wonderful!! I hope to visit Wellesley Booksmith one of these fine days as well! 🙂 e Elizabeth O. Dulemba SOAP, SOAP, SOAP! coming this Fall – e’s 1st picture book as both author and illustrator!
Yeah, what e said!
I visited Wellesley Booksmith several years ago when visiting New England. Great place! I didn’t know you also did such wonderful programming. I have to come back!! – Pennsylvania resident
Kevin Henckes was wonderful when he presented in St. Louis a few years ago. Loved his stories of how he creates and illustrates. Good for kids to hear, too.
To all authors out there considering a trip to the Wellesley Booksmith, it’s a signing you won’t forget. It’s a great bookstore and the staff is super cool. I had a great time there:)!
You’re an utterly fantastic gal Alison Morris. What an AMAZING list of children’s book authors and illustrations. You and the folks at the Wellesley Booksmith should feel mighty proud. An ENDLESS number of children, teachers, librarians, book buyers, etc. have been blessed by your oodles of enthusiasm, experience, and dedication. Bravo.