This week, The Outsiders turns 50; LeUyen Pham visits the Girl Scouts; Kirsten Hall and Matthew Forsythe welcome their new picture book; Star Wars authors team up at the Los Angeles Festival of Books; Margaret Peterson Haddix has a sweet school visit; and food-themed Forever stamps feature the work of John Parra.
Still Golden
A spring tempest didn’t dissuade guests from attending a 50th anniversary party for The Outsiders held at the Arlo Hotel in lower Manhattan on April 25, where author S.E. Hinton was the evening’s honored guest. Attendees also celebrated the release of the 50th anniversary edition of the YA classic. Here, Hinton is flanked by local booksellers (from l.) Cristin Stickles (McNally Jackson), Mary Brown (Books, Bytes & Beyond), Peter Glassman (Books of Wonder), and Trish Bernabeo (Books, Bytes & Beyond).
Calling All Girl Scout Princesses
Illustrator LeUyen Pham visited a Girl Scout camp on April 20—aka “Princess in Black Day.” Pham’s visit was thanks to a partnership between Candlewick Press and Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. Pham gave drawing presentations, which included her depiction of Princess Magnolia as a Girl Scout, and led the group in activities and craft projects. She also personalized books for the campers by portraying each as a princess.
A Luminous Launch
Author Kirsten Hall and illustrator Matthew Forsythe shared their new picture book, The Gold Leaf (Enchanted Lion) at McNally Jackson on April 22. The Gold Leaf also blew uptown to Books of Wonder, where the Enchanted Lion team had installed a window display the day before in honor of the book’s release.
Authors Go Rogue
Scholastic authors Jarrett J. Krosoczka (center l.), Ben Blacker (center r.), Ben Acker, and Cecil Castellucci attended the Los Angeles Festival of Books held April 22–23 on the University of Southern California Campus. The authors participated in the “Teens Go Rogue” panel, about writing and illustrating books that take place in the Star Wars universe.
With Sugar on Top
During her two-week tour for In Over Their Heads, Margaret Peterson Haddix visited Becker Elementary School in Austin, Tex., on April 19. Here, the author shows off themed cupcakes that were supplied by Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop in Austin, where one of the owners is a Becker parent.
A Stamp of Approval
The United Postal Service has issued a set of “Delicioso!” Forever Stamps, which celebrate Latino cuisine and are illustrated by John Parra (Green Is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors, by Roseanne Greenfield Thong). The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque held a dedication ceremony for the stamps on April 20, and welcomed Parra—seen here with the stamp images.
