Recently, a picture book biographer and her subject met, an author took part in health advocacy, a festival for (very) short children’s films took place, an author celebrated a milestone, baseball season kicked off with a literary fan, and a convention brought authors and readers together.


In Full ‘Blume’

On March 1, children’s book icon Judy Blume (l.) and author-illustrator Selina Alko appeared together at Blume's bookstore, Books & Books at the Studios of Key West in Florida, to celebrate Alko’s picture book biography Otherwise Known as Judy the Great (Little, Brown/Ottaviano). In their conversation, Alko showed early sketches from the book and Blume shared childhood stories. The event closed with a book signing and cake.


Speaking Out

Author and tuberculosis advocate John Green (r.) spoke with Dr. Melino Ndayizigiye of Partners in Health while walking to the congressional offices for PIH TB Hill Day on March 3 in Washington, D.C. Approximately 300 tuberculosis advocates and experts gathered on Capitol Hill for a record-setting day of advocacy. There were more than 260 congressional meetings held—including meetings with every office in the Senate—to advocate for resources to help eliminate tuberculosis. Green's nonfiction book Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection released last year from Penguin's Crash Course Books imprint.


90 Seconds or Less

Author James Kennedy (r.) and Newbery Honor author Rita Williams-Garcia co-hosted the 15th 90-Second Newbery Film Festival at the Brooklyn Public Library in New York on February 28. The annual video contest, which was founded by Kennedy, features works from child filmmakers that retell the plots of Newbery Award-winning books in the allotted timeframe. Here, Williams-Garcia and Kennedy take to the stage.


Thick as Thieves

Author Markus Zusak (l.) celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of his historical YA novel The Book Thief (Knopf) with an event at The Strand on March 3. Set in WWII, the novel follows young Liesel, who steals book to help her process the tragedies around her. It was adapted into a feature film in 2013. Zusak was joined in conversation by author Adam Gidwitz to discuss the novel’s success and enduring cultural relevance.


Covering All the Bases

On March 1, Judy Campbell-Smith, author of the picture book Baseball for Breakfast: A [Mostly] True Story (Charlesbridge), celebrated the kickoff of MLB’s spring training season at Literally a Bookshop in Gilbert, Ariz. The book, illustrated by Maggie Carroll, follows young Jimmy’s experience of baseball during WWII. Campbell-Smith gave a reading and led guests in baseball-themed craft activities.


Book Talk

YA author April Henry (r.) met with Book Huddle podcast host Karen Reeder at Story Con, a national convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. Henry made an appearance on two panels, “How I Quit My Day Job and Became a Killer and Thief: and How You Can Too!” and “44 Ways to Turn Up the Tension,” and signed books for attendees.