Chris Gall IN PERSON

LOVE OF READING was this week, and our school librarian always brings a wonderful author or illustrator (or both, as in this case) to speak to the kids.

Chris Gall lives in the Tucson area, and gave our kids a wonderful presentation, beginning with a Powerpoint that showed some of his early interests and drawings. He ended with having the kids call out different ideas and he drew a picture before our very eyes. He did three presentations, and all three pictures are now sitting proudly in the library. He took us through the creation of Dinotrux, his most recent picture book, which is being made into a movie by Dreamworks! How exciting that must be for an illustrator.

Dinotrux is his fourth published book. Previous to that he had There's Nothing to Do on Mars, Dear Fish, and America the Beautiful. He said he got the job to illustrate America the Beautiful because he's related to Katharine Lee Bates, the song's author. That's how he got his "foot in the door."

If you ever have a chance to hear Chris Gall speak, don't pass it up!

He, of course, has his own website.

Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson IN PERSON

Wednesday was my last day off of the Jewish high holiday season. I haven't been up to the Phoenix area in forever, so I loaded my friends Brenda, Shane, and Rachael into my car and we headed north. After spending a delightful morning in Queen's Creek at the wonderful olive oil farm there, then making a stop at IKEA (who can resist?) we headed for Scottsdale. After visiting a couple of Scottsdale shops, wandering around Old Town Scottsdale (another first!), and a stop at a yummy gellato shop, we headed for The Poisoned Pen Book Shop (still in Scottsdale), where we had front row seats to listen to the extremely entertaining duo cited above.


I've watched all four or five seasons of Dave's World, read a number of Ridley Pearson's mysteries, inhaled many of Dave Barry's columns, and even watched a video of the Rock Bottom Remainders (the "rock" group they're in with Stephen King, Barbara Kingsolver, Amy Tan and someone-else-I-can't remember, and they're right, they're awful, but really, really fun). So listening (and watching) the two of them in person, promoting Science Fair, their new book for middle schoolers, was a real treat. After a few photos, a few anecdotes, and some fun sparring back and forth, they treated us all to a couple of their own science experiments. Oh, yes, when Mentos are dropped into a bottle of Diet Coke, the soda really takes off. Check out the front of my white shirt to see for sure! We stood in line to have books signed, then hit the road home. I crawled into bed about 12:30 - and made it to school on time yesterday morning - very, very glad that I spent my last vacation day of the season on a road trip. Lots of fun. No regrets.