One For the Books

R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, Conn., sponsored an event for actor and children’s book author John Lithgow, who signed copies of Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo (S&S), which is based on one of Lithgow’s original songs and illustrated by Leeza Hernandez. The event was part of a weeklong series of appearances for Lithgow throughout the tri-state area. The author entertained the appreciative audience by singing along to a recording of the music that comes packaged with his book. Here, Lithgow signs the guestbook at R.J. Julia.

For the Record

In October, book enthusiasts took part in the annual Read for the Record campaign. Across the U.S., 2,462,860 adults and children read the same book – Otis by Loren Long (Philomel) – breaking the previous world record for a book read by the most people in one day. The campaign, a collaboration between the early education organization Jumpstart, the Pearson Foundation, and the nonprofit We Give Books, promotes literacy. Shown here, Long and celebrity campaign ambassador Tiffani Thiessen, visited a preschool classroom on New York City’s Lower East Side as part of the festivities.

The Usual Suspects

Seventy-five young fans of Dutton’s long-running Encyclopedia Brown detective series by Donald J. Sobol recently took part in an event at the New York Public Library. Each guest was given a fake mustache, a green pen, and a scavenger hunt sheet upon arrival. The scavenger hunt took them all over the library and ended at the Children’s Center where fingerprinting was among the featured activities; participants who completed the hunt received goody bags. Here, Nathanial Gilson, a guest at the event, stands in front of the Encyclopedia Brown sign on display.

I, Robot

In between running writing workshops for hundreds of sixth graders at Memorial Middle School in Middlefield, Conn., author Paul Acampora sported his home-fashioned robot costume to join students and school staff for their annual Halloween parade. Acampora’s forthcoming middle grade novel, I Kill the Mockingbird, will be published by Roaring Brook Press in May 2014.