Wow! I had the most fun weekend ever in San Antonio, celebrating great books, smart kids, and wonderful short films. I got a few photos, too, so I thought I’d take a break from writing for a few minutes to share.

The crowd was amazing! By the end, it was a full house, with beaming parents, grandparents, and kids everywhere.

Author James Kennedy and I were set to battle to the death… THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE…

… but then we thought better of the “Newbery Death match idea”…

… and we went with “Friendly Co-Hosts with Great Fashion Sense” as our schtick instead. (Check out my Cinderella shoes! And James’ velvet tux. We rocked it.)

The winners got trophies AND HUGE CASH PRIZES for their schools! Fame, glory, and money for schools? A perfect combo. (That’s rock star librarian Irene Kistler in the background, BTW. Hi, Irene!)

This young lady modeled her “The Giver” beard. She is an aspiring writer, an actor, and pretty much who I wish I had been as a kid. Rock on, Simone!

And that’s all!

I hope that, if you live in or near a city with a 90-Second Newbery Festival, you’ll go – or even better! – make your own film and enter. It’s the coolest, truly.