Excited About Books at BEA11

Today I made my annual pilgrimage to the strange and wonderful event that is Book Expo America. Equal parts trade show and fan club, BEA lets you learn about new titles coming out while hounding your favorite authors.

As I did last year and the year before, I began my day with the Children’s Author Breakfast. This year it was moderated by Julianne Moore, and featured the likes of Katherine Paterson, Kevin Henkes, Sarah Dessen, and Brian Selznick. Selznick was especially awesome in a super-shiny suit and shiny red shoes. He began with a hilarious slideshow substituting Freckleface Strawberry in for Julianne Moore in movie stills, most notably (and awesomely) as Maude Lebowski in the viking horns.

Now I’m going to tell you something, but you have to swear you won’t tell anyone. I have not yet read The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I know! IknowIknowIknowIknow… Believe me, it’s on my list before the Scorcese movie comes out. In talking about the process of writing his new book, Wonderstruck, Selznick got me itching to read them both. Notably, Wonderstruck combines a story told in text with a story told in illustrations, both about kids who run away to New York fifty years apart. Naturally, they end up at the American Museum of Natural History, and Selznick acknowledged that the book is loaded with references to From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Here’s a bunch of other books I’m excited about, and which you’ll likely be hearing more about in future posts:

Mustache! by the supremely entertaining Mac Barnett, who drew a moustache on my finger.

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith, one of my favorites and the book looks loaded with sweetness.

Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor or, The Loosening of M’Lady Luggertuck’s Corset by Tom Angleberger, if not for title alone than for the fact that he’s the author of the acclaimed The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. And because he travels with Darth Vader who hands out origami Darths (an early promo for Darth Paper Strikes Back, due out in fall).

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, which I picked up and didn’t put down until I read the whole thing twice. It’s an absolutely charming about a bear who asks animals if they’ve seen his hat, until he realized that he’s seen his hat (spoiler: it’s on the dog who said he hasn’t seen it). Kids are going to go crazy for this one.

Count, Dagmar! by J. Otto Seibold. Oh, yeah, a J. Otto Seibold board book. Guess who’s getting this for Halloween?

There’s tons of other stuff, too. Science books and geeky books. Books for teens and tweens. Lots of doodle activity books. I came home buckling under the weight of two bags full of books. (I’m sending you my chiropractor bill, Selznick!) And what was Olive most excited about?

Mommy got her hands on a copy of Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers. Now this fine gem is going to get it’s own post, but I have three words for you: Pilkey Seuss parody.

OK, I have to go read now. Bye!

Tagged as: BEA, Book Expo America, Brian Selznick, Dav Pilkey, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Grandpa Green, J. Otto Seibold, Jon Klassen, Julianne Moore, Katherine Paterson, Kevin Henkes, Lane Smith, Mac Barnett, Mustache, Sarah Dessen, Super Diaper Baby 2, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Tom Angleberger, Wonderstruck