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2011 Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award Winner Announces~ Newcastle, United Kingdom

Book Launch and Signings: The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami~ USA

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

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

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

International Youth Library Exhibits~ Munich, Germany

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

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

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Events

Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences 2011: Coasts and Continents: Exploring Peoples and Places~ ongoing until  June 4, Fredericton, NB, Canada

The Guardian Hay Festival: A Festival for Tots, Teens and In-Betweens~ ongoing until June 5, United Kingdom

Singapore Book Fair~ ongoing until June 5, Singapore

Skipping Stones Magazine’s Youth Honor Award Program – Multicultural Awareness and Nature Appreciation~ entries accepted until June 25

Golden Kite, Golden Dreams: The SCBWI Awards Exhibit~ ongoing until June 24, Hattiesburg, MS, USA

Museum of Childhood Exhibit: Author and Illustrator Judith Kerr~ ongoing until Sep 4, London, United Kingdom

Meet Your Friends From Japan! An Exhibit at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art~ ongoing until Sep 20 Amherst, MA, USA

Mirror, an Exhibition by Children’s Author and Artist Jeannie Baker~ ongoing until Oct 11, Ipswich City, Australia

2012 South Asia Book Award~ entries accepted until Dec 31

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

International Symposium: Literature. Children. Time~ June 1 – 5, Lviv, Ukraine

Children’s Literature Book Club for Adults Discusses Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan and Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman~ June 2, Fresno, CA, USA

SCBWI-CCP Children’s Book Conference~ June 4, Manila, Philppines

Voices on the Coast: a Youth Literature Festival~ June 4 – 8, Sunshine Coast, Australia

The Canadian Aboriginal Writing and Arts Challenge Reception and Exhibition~ June 6, Toronto, ON, Canada

Little Manfred: In Conversation with Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman~ June 6, London, United Kingdom

Librarian’s Day~ June 7, Cuba

International Conference: Picture & Text~ June 8 – 10, Tallinn, Estonia

Dancing By The Light Of The Moon: The Art Of Fred Marcellino~ June 9 – Oct 29, Abilene, TX, USA

Bridlington Poetry Festival~ June 10 – 11, Skirlaugh, United Kingdom

National Black Book Festival~ June 10 – 12, Houston, TX, USA

Red House Children’s Book Award Cereomny~ June 11, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Poet/Author John Hegley’s Book Launch at Discover Children’s Story Centre~ June 11, London, United Kingdom

Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival~ June 11 – 12, Los Angeles, CA, USA

4th Annual Children’s Literature Conference And Horace Mann Upstanders Award~June 12, Los Angeles, CA, USA

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre‘s Annual General Meeting~ June 13, Toronto, ON, Canada

Seoul International Book Fair~ June 15 – 19, Seoul, South Korea

International Day of the African Child~ June 16

Borders Book Festival~ June 16 – 19, Melrose, United Kingdom

4th World Children’s Festival~ June 17 – 19, Washington, D.C., USA

The Torquay Froth and Bubble Literary Festival~ June 18 – 19, Torquay, Australia

Next Library Conference~ June 19 – 21, Aarhus, Denmark

World Refugee Day~ June 20

Refugee Week: Different Pasts, Shared Future~ June 20 – 26, United Kingdom

CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children’s Book Awards Winners Announced~ June 23, London, United Kingdom

Children’s Literature Association Conference: Revolt, Rebellion, Protest: Change and Insurrection in Children’s Literature~ June 23 – 25, Roanoke, VA, USA

Fifth Biennial Conference of the Society for the History of Children and Youth~ June 23 – 25, New York City, NY, USA

American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference~ June 23 – 28, New Orleans, LA, USA

ALSC Activities During the ALA Annual Conference~ June 23 – 28, New Orleans, LA, USA

YALSA Activities During the ALA Annual Conference~ June 23 – 28, New Orleans, LA, USA

Kids and Young Adult Literature Festival~ June 25, Rozelle, Australia

Adarna House Summer Workshop for Teachers: Learning from the Past~ June 25, Quezon City, Philippines

USBBY Session at the ALA Annual Conference “International Children’s Book Publishing: A Small Press Perspective”~ June 25, New Orleans, LA, USA

Sunthorn Phu Day (celebrated poet)~ June 26, Thailand

Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet~ June 26, New Orleans, LA, USA

Canadian Multiculturalism Day~ Jun 27, Canada

International Reading Association Workshops~~ June 27 – 28, Washington, D.C. USA

The 22nd Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival, one of North America’s premier literary events, takes place Oct 18 – 25 in Vancouver, BC. The Vancouver Sun just published a great article on the festival, Big Names and a Six-Day Smorgasbord for Local Books Worms, that gives a glimpse of the treasures in store for literary fans attending. The article highlights one event that I would love to attend but is unfortunately sold out: Mariatu Kamara, author of The Bite of the Mango, in conversation with Kathryn Gretsinger.

On Thursday I will be chaperoning students in my son’s class to Event #29 – Hide and Seek with acclaimed young adult authors Gordon Korman and Matthew Skelton. My son Evan is most excited to see Gordon Korman in person! Last year Evan “discovered” Korman and was instantly hooked on his books, especially the Dive, Everest and Island series. This promises to be a great experience for the students (as well as us chaperones!). Here’s the preview for the event:

Adventures around the world and through time join together these two skilled authors. A phoenix-like bird in a nest guarded by crows, a daring hot-air balloon ride, a skillful heist of animals from a floating zoo, a speedboat chase through the canals of Venice, modern Europe and 18th century Antarctica and 16th century England—all find their way into the books of Gordon Korman and Matthew Skelton. Novels can take you to places you’ve never been and times that you’ll never see. Come and play hide and seek with two of the best children’s authors writing today.

To read and watch the events unfold at this year’s festival, visit the Festival Blog. 7 bloggers will be contributing text, audio clip interviews and photos on a daily basis.

You are invited to attend a YA author panel, “Using Fiction to Discover Your Courage,” Friday, October 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the Madison Children’s Museum, 100 State Street, Madison, Wisconsin.

During this Wisconsin Book Festival event, I will join Sheri Sinykin, author of Giving Up the Ghost and Stephanie Golightly Lowden, author of Time of the Eagle, in discussing the role of courage, both in the writing process and in our characters’ journeys. We’ll read from our novels, answer questions and autograph our books. Hope to see you there!

Patricia tells me she will be bringing her camera and will try to share some photos and experiences with us after the event.