tall trees

I spent the first half of this week in Berkeley, CA but this morning when asked why I’d gone out west (business or pleasure?) I couldn’t find words to describe my trip. With some friends, it doesn’t matter how much time has passed. When you get together again, the words just flow and that’s how it is whenever I see Laura Atkins. She graciously opened her home to me and we spent Monday just catching up. Her daughter baked me an amazing birthday cake and I plucked off all the sweet tarts over the course of my three-day stay. Laura coordinated a school visit for me and so I gave two talks at Jefferson Elementary School on Tuesday morning. I was thrilled to share Maya Gonzalez and Matthew Smith’s new initiative through Reflection Press: Write Now! Make Books. It’s got everything kids (and grownups) need to learn how to turn their story ideas into a book—check it out! After my school visit we convened at Janine’s lovely home in the Oakland foothills and set our agenda for that evening’s kid lit mixer. It was a wonderful gathering and an important conversation between radical kid lit creators, librarians, and literacy activists (more on that later). I’ve got jet lag and need to turn in so I can get to tomorrow’s morning school visit on time, but I wanted to at least try to explain why I went to California this week. Next week it’s London (for pleasure) and the week after that I’ll be in Arkansas (for business), but trips often blur that line. I enjoy doing research for my book projects and I love meeting students and educators wherever I go. I went to CA because my group of rad kid lit creators agreed that we needed some face time; we have monthly video conferences and we “see” each other online, but it’s not the same as being in the same room as we laugh, and debate, and explore our vision for the future of children’s literature. We shared our latest projects, and we ate delicious food, and we followed a narrow path up a steep hill that was lined with towering redwood trees. I once heard a fellow expat say, “In Canada, they trim the tallest trees.” No one is encouraged to reach for the sky because standing out, rising above your peers is frowned upon. And maybe that kind of individualism isn’t good for the community, but when you’re small small or young or simply uncertain, seeing the unlimited potential of those around you is necessary. The more my friends achieve, the more I feel I’m able to try—my daring and theirs are bound together. You can tell just from the looks on our faces how much it meant to be together for three days—and we’re already planning the next retreat! Time for bed—I’ll try to write about the mixer tomorrow…

Janine used a timer to capture this great photo in her backyard. Clockwise: me, Matthew Smith, Sky, Maya Gonzalez, Laura Atkins, & Janine Macbeth.