Simone Elkeles at ALA

The fabulous Simone Elkeles was at the American Library Association annual meeting last weekend. Based on her report and pictures, I think she had a good time. Highlights follow:

She attended the Penguin cocktail part with Penguin author Shannon Greenland: "So we’re meeting very cool librarians at the private cocktail party (it IS the American Library Association conference) and in walks none other than JUDY BLUME. Yes, the Judy Blume. This woman taught me about sex, relationships, how to be a brat, how to increase my bust (which she said, and I quote Judy directly, 'Doesn’t work.' –but I insist it did for me!), among other important things--and I’d never even met the woman."

Well, she has now. That's Ms. Blume between Shannon and Simone.

I've never known Simone to be at a loss for words, and by her own account she came through here, paying Judy Blume a compliment she's probably never heard before: "And then I said, 'You’re bigger than…' I wanted to say God, but God does have one up on Judy Blume. So I thought of who is right under God and I said it. I told Judy Blume, 'You’re bigger than…Oprah!'”

She also got down to business and signed 150 copies of her Teen-Top-Ten nominated How to Ruin a Summer Vacation at the YALSA booth. "I signed until they turned off the convention lights at 5:00pm and told all attendees to leave. People stood in line for over an hour for me. Surreal, and awesome!"

Perhaps the coolest thing though, was this: "A librarian named Wendy, when she read my name tag, clapped and gasped. She loved my books and was so excited to meet me. I said, 'Did you just gasp? For me?' Yes, and she wanted her picture taken with me. It was a day I’ll never forget!"

Nice. Very nice.