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Picture Book Month

American Indian Heritage Month~ USA

National Novel Writing Month: NaNoWriMo for Youth~ Australia

ALA Online Course: Introduction to Graphic Novels for Children~ongoing until Nov 4, USA

Kuala Lumpur Children’s Book Festival~ ongoing until Nov 4, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Art Institute of Chicago Presents: Artful Alphabets: Five Picture Book Artists~ ongoing until Nov 6, Chicago, IL, USA

2012 PBBY-Salanga Prize~ entries accepted until Nov 11, Philippines

31st Santiago International Book Fair~ ongoing until Nov 13, Santiago, Chile

The Children’s Bookshow: Stories From Around The World~ ongoing until Dec 7, United Kingdom

The Original Art: Celebrating the Fine Art of Children’s Book Illustration~ ongoing until Dec 29, New York, NY, USA

Adventures in the Soviet Imaginary: Children’s Books and Graphic Art~ ongoing until Dec 30, Chicago, IL, USA

2012 South Asia Book Award~ entries accepted until Dec 31

Budding Writers Project~ entries accepted until Jan 6, 2012, Singapore

Exhibits of Winning Entries from the 2011 Growing Up Asian in America Contest~ ongoing until Feb 2012, USA

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NAME’s (National Association for Multicultural Education) Annual Conference~ Nov 2 – 5, Chicago, IL, USA

SCBWI Israel Event: Interactive Digital Children Books~ Nov 3, Tel Aviv, Israel

Children’s Literature Council Fall Gala~ Nov 5, Los Angeles, CA, USA

15th Annual Rochester Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 5, Rochester, NY, USA

OKI (Ohio Kentucky Indiana) Children’s Literature Conference~ Nov 5, Crestview Hills, KY, USA

Once Upon A World Children’s Book Award Ceremony~ Nov 6, Los Angeles, CA, USA

21st Annual Children’s Illustration Show~ Nov 6 – Jan 1, Northampton, MA, USA

National Young Readers Week~ Nov 7 – 13, USA

Northern Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 7 – 20, United Kingdom

Bookaroo in the City~ Nov 8 – 24, Delhi, India

Two-time Caldecott Medal-winner Chris Van Allsburg at Kidsbooks~ Nov 9, Vancouver, BC, Canada

CILIP YLG Wendy Drewett Ireland Book Day~ Nov 9, Bangor, Ireland

Green Inking: Graphic Novels & Comic Books by and about the Irish~ Nov 9, Dublin, Ireland

National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference~ Nov 9 – 13, Atlanta, GA, USA

A Journey Without End: Ed Young~ Nov 11 – Jan 28, 2012, Abilene, TX, USA

The 18th Annual British IBBY/NCRCL MA Children’s Literature Conference: It Doesn’t Have to Rhyme – Children and Poetry~ Nov 12, London, United Kingdom

SCBWI Belgium Event: A Day with the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Nominees~ Nov 12, Brussels, Belgium

Connecticut Children’s Book Fair~ Nov 12 – 13, Storrs, CT, USA

Istanbul Book Fair / IBBY Turkey Announces Children’s Books of the Year~ Nov 12 – 20, Istanbul, Turkey

Reading Association of the Philippines Midyear Demofest~ Nov 13 – 15, Dipolog City, Philippines

National Book Awards~ Nov 14 – 16, New York, NY, USA

National Book Week: Wings  of  Imagination~ Nov 14 – 20, India

2011 Governor General’s Literary Awards Winners Announced~ Nov 15, Toronto, ON, Canada

Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable and the Museum of Anthropology Panel Discussion: Joy Kogawa and Maggie DeVries~ Nov 15, Vancouver, BC, Canada

2nd Annual Children’s Poetry Festival~ Nov 16 – 18, San Salvador, El Salvador

Sharjah International Book Fair and Announcement of the Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature Winner~ Nov 16 – 26, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Children’s Literature Assembly Events at the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention~ Nov 17 – 20, Chicago, IL, USA

Children’s Africana Book Awards Ceremony~ Nov 18, Washington, DC, USA

Penang International Kids Storytelling Festival (PINKS)~ Nov 19, Penang, Malaysia

Bookamania~ Nov 19, Chicago, IL, USA

10th Annual International Children’s and Young Adult Literature Celebration: Open a Door, Open a Book, Open your Mind..to the World~ Nov 19, Madison, WI, USA

Savannah Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 19, Savannah, GA, USA

SCBWI British Isles Conference~ Nov 19 – 20, Winchester, United Kingdom

USBBY Co-sponsored Session at the NCTE Annual Convention: Outstanding Books For and About Young People with Disabilities~ Nov 20, Chicago, IL, USA

Assembly on Literature for Adolescents Workshops~ Nov 20 – 22, Chicago, IL, USA

UK Muslim Book Awards Presentation~ Nov 22, London, United Kingdom

Oh the Places You’ll Go! Journeys for the Young Interdisciplinary Traveler | Music and Literary Arts Workshop~ Nov 23 -25, Singapore

2011 Governor General’s Literary Awards Winners Ceremony~ Nov 24, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Authors Sarah Ellis and Julie Lawson at Kidsbooks ~ Nov 24, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Bookaroo~ Nov 25 – 27, Delhi, India

Keeping Books Alive Conference~ Nov 26, Melbourne, Australia

Guadalajara Book Fair~ Nov 26 – Dec 4, Guadalajara, Mexico

Calgary Children’s Book Fair and Conference~ Nov 27, Calgary, AB, Canada

I Have a Dream | Writing for Social Change by Pooja Makhijani~ Nov 30 – Dec 2, Singapore

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Tulika Books Author Events~ India

Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre Exhibits and Programs~ Fremantle, Australia

Dromkeen National Centre for Picture Book Art Exhibits~ Riddells Creek, Australia

Books Illustrated Events and Exhibitions~ Middle Park, Australia

Screenings for Library of the Early Mind: a documentary film exploring childrens literature~ Canada and USA

International Youth Library Exhibits~ Munich, Germany

Newcastle University Programme of Talks on Children’s Books for 2011-2012~ Newcastle, United Kingdom

Seven Stories (the National Home of Children’s Books in Britain) Events~ Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Discover Children’s Story Centre~ London, United Kingdom

The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Exhibits~ Abilene, TX, USA

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American Indian Heritage Month~ USA

November Events for Kids at Dar el Shorouk Stores~ Cairo, Egypt

Govenor General’s Literary Award Winners Announced~ Montreal, QC, Canada

SCBWI Write-ins to Celebrate National Novel Writing Month~ France

Sharjah International Book Fair and Announcement of the Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature Winner~ ongoing until Nov 6, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Antwerp Book Fair~ ongoing until Nov 11, Antwerp, Belgium

30th Santiago International Book Fair~ ongoing until Nov 14, Santiago, Chile

Nambook-010: The 5th Nami Island International Children’s Book Festival~ ongoing until  Nov 14, Nami, Korea

Entries Accepted for the 2011 PBBY-Salanga Prize~ ongoing until Nov 15, Philippines

The Children’s Bookshow: Stories From Around The World~ ongoing until Nov 17, United Kingdom

2010 Original Art: Celebrating the Fine Art of Children’s Book Illustration~ ongoing until Nov 24, New York, NY, USA

Scholastic Asian Book Award~ submissions accepted until Dec 31, Singapore

Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2011~ entries accepted until Dec 31, Singapore

An Exquisite Vision: The Art of Lisbeth Zwerger~ ongoing until Jan 9, Hannover, Germany

Monsters and Miracles: A Journey through Jewish Picture Books~ ongoing until Jan 23, Amherst, MA, USA

Drawn in Brooklyn Exhibit of Original Picture Book Art by Brooklyn Illustrators~ ongoing until Jan 23, Brooklyn, NY, USA

National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Presents From Houdini to Hugo: The Art of Brian Selznick~ ongoing until Jan 29, Abilene, TX, USA

International Youth Library Exhibit: The World in Miniature. The Family in Historic Picture Books and Children’s Literature~ ongoing until Aug 31, Munich, Germany

EXEtreme Imagination: A Festival of Literature for Children and Young People~ Nov 1 – 7, Devon and Exeter, United Kingdom

Exclusive Screening: Library of the Early Mind~ Nov 2, New York, NY, USA

Asian Literacy Conference~Nov 3 – 5, Manila, Philippines

NAME’s (National Association for Multicultural Education) 20th Annual Conference ~ Nov 3 – 6, Las Vegas, NV, USA

An Evening with SCBWI Published Authors~ Nov 4, London, United Kingdom

Children’s Book Council of Australia – Zart Art Seminar~ Nov 4, Melbourne, Australia

YALSA’s Young Adult Literature Symposium: Diversity, Literature and Teens, Beyond Good Intentions~ Nov 5 – 7, Albuquerque, NM, USA

2010 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition~ Nov 5 – Dec 5, Nanao, Japan

Children’s Literature Council Fall Gala~ Nov 6, Los Angeles, CA, USA

14th Annual Rochester Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 6, Rochester, NY, USA

OKI (Ohio Kentucky Indiana) Children’s Literature Conference~ Nov 6, Crestview Hills, KY, USA

Adeline Foo’s Book Launch for Famous Amos’ 3rd Diary~ Nov 6, Singapore

8th International Conference on the Book~ Nov 6 – 8, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Once Upon A World Children’s Book Award Program~ Nov 7, Los Angeles, CA, USA

21st Annual Children’s Illustration Show~ Nov 7 – Jan 1, Northampton, MA, USA

Fins and Feathers: Original Children’s Book Illustrations from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art~ Nov 7 – Jan 30, Raleigh, NC, USA

SCBWI Children’s Lit Booktalk: Meet Author Luis Gatmaitan~ Nov 8, Manila, Philippines

1st Annual Children’s Poetry Festival~ Nov 8 – 10, San Salvador, El Salvador

National Young Readers Week~ Nov 8 – 12, USA

Northern Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 8 – 20, United Kingdom

International Youth Library Exhibit: The Fabulous World of John Kilaka, Pictures and Drawings by a Tanzanian Artist~ Nov 8 – Feb 28, Munich, Germany

Author Deb Ellis at Kidsbooks~ Nov 8 – 9, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards Winners Announced~ Nov 9, Toronto, ON, USA

Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award Presentation~ Nov 10, Auckland, New Zealand

The Mazza Museum: International Art from Picture Books Weekend Conference~ Nov 12 – 13, Findlay, OH, USA

NBDCS Presents Literacy Instruction for Delayed Readers~ Nov 13, Singapore

Savannah Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 13, Savannah, GA, USA

The Foundation for Children’s Books Presents: What’s New in Children’s Books~ Nov 13, Boston, MA, USA

The 17th Annual British IBBY/NCRCL MA Children’s Literature Conference: Conflicts and Controversies~ Nov 13, London, United Kingdom

Connecticut Children’s Book Fair~ Nov 13 – 14, Storrs, CT, USA

The 108th Annual Conference of the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association~ Nov 13 – 14, Honolulu, HI, USA

SCBWI British Isle’s Third Conference For Writers & Illustrators~ Nov 13 – 14, Winchester, United Kingdom

National Book Week~ Nov 14 – 20, India

Bookaroo in the City! A Celebration of Books in Schools Across Delhi~ Nov 14 – 25, New Delhi, India

South Korean Adventure – Peace Story, Nambook-010~ Nov 15, Auckland, New Zealand

Author/Illustrator Seta Toroyan Presents: The Page Turn in the Picture Book- What it Does and How Children’s Writers and Illustrators Make Use of It~ Nov 16, Brooklyn, NY, USA

13th Literary Youth Festival at the Institut Français~ Nov 17 – 20, London, United Kingdom

28th Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference “In the Tradition”~ Nov 17 – 21, Little Rock, AR, USA

2010 Fall Book Launch for Orca Books Authors~ Nov 18, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Manila International Literary Festival~ Nov 18 – 20, Manila, Philippines

Children’s Literature Assembly Events at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention~ Nov 18 – 22, Orlando, FL, USA

International Illustrators Forum~ Nov 19 – 20, Munich, Germany

International Children’s and Young Adult Literature Celebration: Open a Door… Open a Book…Open your Mind to the World~ Nov 20, Madison, WI, USA

USBBY Co-sponsored Session at the NCTE Annual Convention: Celebramos con Pura Belpré, Highlighting Hispanic Voices in Literature for Children and Teens~ Nov 21, Orlando, FL, USA

Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) Sessions at the NCTE Annual Convention~ Nov 22 – 23, Orlando, FL, USA

Inky Awards Ceremony~ Nov 25, Melbourne, Australia

National Conference on Poetry~ Nov 25 – 26, Manila, Philippines

Bookaroo Children’s Literature Festival~ Nov 26 – 28, New Delhi, India

Calgary Children’s Book Fair and Conference~ Nov 27, Calgary, AB, Canada

Guadalajara Book Fair~ Nov 27 – Dec 5, Guadalajara, Mexico

SCBWI Japan Presents: Children’s Literature Scholar Leonard Marcus — Advice from a Legendary Editor: How Ursula Nordstrom Made Children’s Books That Last~ Nov 28, Tokyo, Japan

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National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month~ USA

Book Week~ ongoing until Nov 9, Japan

28th Santiago International Book Fair~ ongoing until Nov 15, Santiago, Chile

The Once Upon a World Children’s Book Award Festival~ Nov 1, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Exhibition by Illustrators and Writers of Children’s Books~ Nov 3 – 27, Pretoria, South Africa

3rd Triennial of Estonian illustrations: The Power of Pictures~ Nov 3 – 30, Tallinn, Estonia

29th Indonesia Book Fair~ Nov 4 – 8, Jakarta, Indonesia

American Association of School Librarians National Conference~ Nov 5 – 8, Charlotte, NC, USA

2009 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition of Children’s Books~ Nov 6 – Dec 6, Ishikawa, Japan

13th Annual Rochester Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 7, Rochester, NY, USA

National Young Readers Week~ Nov 9 – 13, USA

Northern Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 9 – 21, United Kingdom

27th Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference~ Nov 11 – 15, Little Rock, AR, USA

TD National Reading Summit: Reading & Democracy~ Nov 12 – 13, Toronto, ON, Canada

International Conference on Children and Young Adults Literature: Postacards from no man’s land. Promoting teen literature~ Nov 13 – 14, Cagliari, Italy

The World of Children’s Book Publishing with Alvina Ling, Senior Editor Little, Brown Books for Young Readers~ Nov 14, Yokohama, Japan

The 16th Annual British IBBY/NCRCL MA Children’s Literature Conference: Going Graphic – Comics and Graphic Novels for Young People~ Nov 14, London, United Kingdom

Calgary Children’s Book Fair and Conference~ Nov 14, Calgary, AB, Canada

18th Annual Connecticut Children’s Book Fair~ Nov 14 – 15, Storrs, CT, USA

Children’s Book Week: Classic Canadian Reading~ Nov 14 – 21, Canada

Take Home an Original: The Art of the Picture Book~ Nov 14 – 24, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Govenor General’s Literary Award Winners Announced~ Nov 17, Montreal, QC, Canada

TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award Winners Announced~ Nov 17, Toronto, ON, Canada

Children’s Literature Assembly Events at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention~ Nov 19 – 24, Philadelphia, PA, USA

8th Annual International Children’s and Young Adult Literature Celebration~ Nov 21, Madison, WI, USA

National Library Board’s Asian Children’s Festival~ Nov 21 – 29, Singapore

Heart and Soul: Art from Coretta Scott King Award Books, 2006–2009~ Nov 21 – Apr 18, 2010, Chicago, IL, USA

USBBY Co-Sponsored Session at the NCTE Convention~ Nov 22, Philadelphia, PA, USA

CJ Picture Book Festival~ Nov 23- Dec 24, Seoul, Korea

CJ Picture Book Forum~ Nov 24, Seoul, Korea

Golden Legacy: Original Art from 65 Years of Golden Books Featuring Artwork from Iconic Children’s Books~ Nov 24 – Feb 28, 2010, Amherst, MA, USA

Mother Goose in an Air-Ship: McLoughlin Bros. 19th Century Children’s Books from the Liman Collection~ Nov 24 – Apr 18, 2010, Amherst, MA, USA

Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse: Children’s Books & Magazines~ Nov 25 – 30, France

The Children’s Literature Fair of Seine-Saint-Denis~ Nov 26 – Dec 1, Montreuil, France

Inky Awards Ceremony~ Nov 26, Melbourne, Australia

Bookaroo Children’s Literature Festival~ Nov 28 – 29, New Delhi, India

Guadalajara Book Fair~ Nov 28 – Dec 6, Guadalajara, Mexico

“India’s first literature festival for children is a reminder of the expanding market in kids’ writing.

A few years ago, it would have been packed, end to end, with Enid Blytons and perhaps the occasional Dr Seuss book (frowned upon by parents because it wasn’t “meaningful enough” for young children). But now there’s an abundance of titles by Indian writers… — all of whom are present at this festival, hosting interactive sessions and workshops, and having a rollicking good time by the looks of it. And all of whom are refreshingly open-minded about the possibilities of children’s literature.

“We’ve finally outgrown the patronising idea that a good children’s book must have an obvious moral attached to it,” says Sayoni Basu, publishing director, Scholastic India, pointing out that it’s possible now for children’s writing in India to be fantastical, silly, irreverent, even dark, as long as it doesn’t get too negative. “People are realising that kids are tougher than they get credit for.”

Scholastic India alone has published around a hundred original children’s titles this year, and other publishers such as Pratham Books (which co-organised Bookaroo), Tara, and Puffin are expanding their catalogues too. Another key development, says Basu, is that the quality of illustrations has vastly improved: “a children’s book now looks like something you might actually want to pick up”.

“The idea that children don’t read nowadays is a vastly overstated one,” says [Indian children's author Sampurna] Chattarji. Going by the enthusiastic response to Bookaroo, she’s right.”

Jai Arjun Singh welcomes our readers to visit his blog where he has posted additional information about Bookaroo as well as photos of the event. Click here and here. You can also visit Pratham Books’ blog to read more Bookaroo reviews.

Our new issue of PaperTigers focuses on the timely themes of war, peace and social justice in relation to children’s books. How can we help children to cope with the divisiveness and contradictions at play in the world today? How can we help them to feel that they have the power to change things for the better? PaperTigers Managing Editor Aline points out “At no other time in recent history have these themes been more relevant or their challenges more urgent than they are now”. How true!

With the events in India fresh in my mind, I am reminded by a campaign to encourage reading that the Pakistan chapter of IBBY started following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007. As the country plunged into violence and civil unrest, IBBY Pakistan initiated a poster campaign in an attempt to “counteract the daily subjection of the children to images of terrorism, destruction and despair.” IBBY Pakistan states:

“The aim of the poster campaign is to encourage reading and school attendance, cut the drop-out rate and allow the next generation to move forward out of the current cycle of destruction.The organization is putting every effort into a nationwide poster campaign that will bring children and books together with information, knowledge, and awareness of peace and tolerance towards each other: issues that are often neglected in their lives today. IBBY Pakistan believes that with these methods they can begin to stop what they see as brain washing of the young by the virulent campaign of violence they see around them every day.”

New to our calendar is a festival that I am sure will be a success – Bookaroo, India’s first- ever festival of children’s literature! Held in New Delhi on November 22 and 23rd, more than thirty-five children’s authors, illustrators and graphic artists from India, Australia, the UK and the USA will be involved. In an interview with journalist Seema Chowdhry, organizing members Anita Roy, Swati Roy and Jo Williams say:

“Unlike most children’s book fairs in India, we are not focusing solely on book sales. This festival will be a platform where children’s books will be viewed not just as objects, but as gorgeous, bouncy trampolines which will encourage their imagination and creativity. Since our aim is to present books and reading as a fun activity and not as a chore, we are keen that this festival be more of a family event rather than schools booking slots for the sessions. A good literature festival for children usually offers a wonderful day out for child and adult alike. And because it is all about books, it can help to encourage the reading habit. Bookaroo has put together a series of activities so that children are excited by books and get interested in them.”

The program events have been broken down into age- appropriate sessions, targeting kids from 4 – 14. Although all the events are free, pre-registration is required, with many of the programs already full. Organizers hope that Bookaroo is so successful that they will be able to offer it in Mumbai in January.

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Children’s Book Holiday~ Mongolia

Grimm Stuff: Folktales and Fairy Stories Exhibition~ ongoing until Nov 8, Wellington, New Zealand

Book Week~ ongoing until Nov 9, Japan

28th Santiago International Book Fair~ ongoing until Nov 16, Santiago, Chile

The Heart of Innocence: Exhibition of Works for Children by Czech Illustrators~ ongoing until Nov 23, Macau

Children’s Literature Festival~ Nov 1, Keene, NH, USA

The Kennedy Center’s 13th Annual Multicultural Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 1, Washington, D.C., USA

The Once Upon a World Children’s Book Award Festival~ Nov 2, Los Angeles, CA, USA

TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award Winners Announced~ Nov 6, Toronto, ON, Canada

Kaleidoscope Children’s Literature Conference: Bridging Worlds ~ Nov 6 – 8, Calgary, AB, Canada

YALSA’s Young Adult Literature Symposium: How We Read Now~ Nov 7 – 9, Nashville, TN, USA

12th Annual Rochester Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 8, Rochester, NY, USA

17th Annual Connecticut Children’s Book Fair~ Nov 8 – 9, Storrs, CT, USA

National Young Reader’s Day~ Nov 10 – 14, USA

Over Rainbows and Down Rabbit Holes: The Art of Children’s Books Exhibition~ Nov 11 – Mar 8/09, Amherst, MA, USA

28th Indonesia Book Fair~ Nov 12 – 16, Jakarta, Indonesia

National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) 18th International Conference~ Nov 12 – 16, New Orleans, LA, USA

National Book Week~ Nov 14 – 20, India

IBBY/NCRCL Conference: Ecology, Environment and Children’s Literature~ Nov 15, London, United Kingdom

7th Annual National Pacific Islander Educator Network (NPIEN) Conference~ Nov 15, Paramount, CA, USA

Children’s Book Week: Classic Canadian Reading~ Nov 15 – 22, Canada

National Library Board’s 9th Asian Children’s Festival~ Nov 15 – 23, Singapore

Govenor General’s Literary Award Winners Announced~ Nov 18, Montreal, QC, Canada

26th Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference~ Nov 19 – 23, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Children’s Literature Assembly Events at the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention~ Nov 20 – 23, San Antonio, TX, USA

7th Annual International Children’s and Young Adult Literature Celebration~ Nov 22, Madison, WI, USA

Bookaroo: India’s First Ever Festival of Children’s Literature~ Nov 22 – 23, New Delhi, India

Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) Workshop: Negotiations & Love Songs:The Literature of Young Adults~ Nov 24 – 25, San Antonio, TX, USA

Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse: Children’s Books & Magazines~ Nov 26 – Dec 1, France

Guadalajara Book Fair~ Nov 29 – Dec 7, Guadalajara, Mexico