Book Expo America 2013 in Pictures

Harry Potter Lithograph signed by new artist giveaway. Best. Swag. Ever.

New Chamber of Secrets Cover after the big unveiling. So. Beautiful.

I do read YA! I love YA! Now even strangers will know :)

What? Is that Arthur Levine? Kazu Kibuishi?

Learning what's hot to read. The one I'm most looking forward to? Fangirl!

Some of the lines were so long you had to get tickets. Marie Lu's was one of them -- even though she wasn't even giving out a full ARC. That's just how hot she is. I was engulfed in so much fan girl screaming and giggling in line it was amazing.

Marie Lu is awesome. So sweet!

 

I love this so much I wanted to drive it out of the Javits all the way to California. It makes me start a book fair at the high school where I teach. When I returned, I immediately started planning a great book swap party for my sophomores to kick off summer reading spectaculars. I can't wait to tell them about all of the hot titles coming out.

Hint to authors: If you want people to feel special, pull a Julianne Moore and look this excited to see a random stranger getting a signature.

Rick Riordan not only made us laugh hysterically, but also made anyone getting a book signed feel important. He said that when writing books he tried to make it so that each chapter could hold the attention of all of his middle schoolers through the entire chapter. Even after lunch.

Olivia! (My nieces think I'm so cool -- partying it up with the celebs)

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus is one of my favorite books. Thank you Mo Willems for consistently delighting us with simplicity, wonder, humor, and now cupcakes. Yum!

Neil Gaiman's words are still haunting me, and not just because of the accent. Why is reading dangerous? Because it makes us empathetic. I've had discussions in all of my classes about this crucial idea about humanity since I've been back and still can't get it out of my head. Thank you Gaiman for so much more than the signed books you gave us.

 

And after it's all over, it's time to enjoy the NYC. Chocolate gelato on the high line. And yes, the Rainbow flip flops were an excellent choice for walking the Javits and the city.