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going back in time...

mood: exhausted
Well, this has been a fun, hectic week. A lot has been written about Tuesday's Teen Author Prom (check here and here and here ), so let me just ditto the fact that it was a lot o' fun!!! For most of us, it had been a long time since we'd been to a prom. Too long. So we had to make up for lost time. We got all dressed up and danced the night away to classic songs by Blondie, Simple Minds, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, The Fugees and lots more. We also sang, laughed, and acted like teenagers again! (The spiked punch might have had something to do with it!)


David Levithan & moi


Fellow Longstockings: Caroline Hickey, Kathryne Alfred & Jenny Han


Sarah Beth Durst, Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Mystery Man, moi, & Ellen Wittlinger (in the coolest pink wig!)

[I'm feeling really guilty that I don't remember who the Mystery Man is, so if you know him please let me know!!! I'm going to blame my memory lapse on my one (and only) glass of spiked punch!]

Anyway, the prom was fantastic and it raised a lot of money for Advocates for Youth, an organization dedicated to educating teens about sex and helping them make informed, responsible decisions.


And then yesterday, I had a wonderful school visit to a middle school in Brooklyn. It was my first visit to a sixth grade class, and let me just say that sixth graders are very, um, spirited. The teacher did a great job of presenting TYRELL to the class in an age-appropriate way, and the kids really seemed to like the book, although some complained (under their breath) about the fact that their teacher "censored" out the curse words! :-)


(By the way, I'm in the back under the Hot/Cold poster! And yes, I was almost trampled to death!!!)

The kids were a lot of fun. They also asked me great sixth-grade-type questions. Here were my answers:
No, I don't know how the HARRY POTTER series will end.
No, I don't know J.K. Rowling.
No, I don't have as much money as J.K. Rowling.
No, I don't think I'll ever write a book like HARRY POTTER.

You get it!

I left the school with a bouquet of flowers and a whole bunch of handmade cards full of drawings and glitter!

Aren't kids great?

Posted on Apr. 20th, 2007 at 03:35 pm | | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Comments


[info]jbknowles

Mystery Man looks like Cassie's very nice boyfriend Josh.

:-)

I LOVE that photo of you and the kids!!
Posted on Apr. 20th, 2007 07:50 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]coebooth

Thanks for the info, Jo.

And those kids ARE adorable, aren't they?!? So cute.
Posted on Apr. 23rd, 2007 01:49 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]e_lockhart

I could be wrong but
I am pretty sure
the mystery man
is Cassie's boyfriend!
Posted on Apr. 20th, 2007 08:02 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]coebooth

Thanks, E.

Hey, I saw you at the prom for, like, a second. Then you disappeared. (Or maybe I disappeared!) But it WAS pretty crowded in there! Hope you had a good time. :-)
Posted on Apr. 23rd, 2007 01:52 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]castellucci

It is! I can confirm! I can Confirm! Mystery Man is Definitely the very nice boyfriend of Cassie, named Josh!
Posted on Apr. 20th, 2007 09:57 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]coebooth

Thanks, Cecil. I can't wait to see you this weekend!
Posted on Apr. 23rd, 2007 01:54 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]annecy_dit

I think school visits are the thing i most look forward to about selling a book. I really hate public speaking, but i loved teaching, and i love kids, so... i think i'll really like being in a classroom again.
Posted on Apr. 20th, 2007 10:13 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]coebooth

I'm exactly the same way. I hate public speaking, but I also loved teaching. I never taught little kids, though; I stuck with the college "kids."

So far I've had really fun school visits, but most of them have been with high school students. Sixth grade is a whole 'notha thing!!! :-)

What grade did you teach?
Posted on Apr. 23rd, 2007 01:59 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

(Anonymous)

From Ms. Lisa Graff, who still doesn't have an LJ account...

Wait, you don't know J.K. Rowling???? And to think that all this time I've just been using you to get to her! Friendship OFF!

:)

You look so cute at Prom! I was really sad I had to be a sicky and miss it. :(

xo
Lisa
Posted on Apr. 21st, 2007 01:46 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]coebooth

Re: From Ms. Lisa Graff, who still doesn't have an LJ account...

Yes, Lisa. You picked a fine time to get sick! I mean, who gets sick right before the PROM???

The truth is, J.K. and I go way back. Well, until she stole my idea for a series of books about a boy wizard. Of course my book would have been set in The Bronx, but still. It could have worked... Maybe.

See ya Wednesday.

Posted on Apr. 23rd, 2007 02:05 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]sarazarr

"spirited" is a great word for 6th graders!
Posted on Apr. 21st, 2007 04:05 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]coebooth

Sixth graders are a special breed! Man, what I could do with all that energy!!!
:-)
Posted on Apr. 23rd, 2007 02:08 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]jmprince

I honestly can't tell you which pic I like best! :-)
Posted on Apr. 21st, 2007 04:47 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]coebooth

I have to vote for the picture of the kids! Such personality!
Posted on Apr. 23rd, 2007 02:11 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]saraclaradara

I feel like SUCH a LOSER!

I missed the Prom. Again. I'm a forty-something year old Prom-Wannabe.

Ok, so I missed it because I was living it up at Disney World with my kids to celebrate the end of the Never Ending Divorce. But still...I coulda worn a dress. I coulda been a contendah....

Hope they have another one next year. I'll buy lots of conditioner to see if I can outshine Jenny's hair.

And BTW - I just finished reading Tyrell. I was blown away. Girlfriend, I'm buying you a drink at the next TADN. And you will drink it. And you will dish the dirt about the Prom. And that's an order!
Posted on Apr. 21st, 2007 04:53 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]coebooth

Re: I feel like SUCH a LOSER!

Thanks for reading TYRELL. But no more drinking for me. I had one glass of spiked punch at the prom and my knees buckled. I think I'll stick to Diet Cokes in the future!!!

I was reading your LJ the other day and my niece looked over my shoulder at all of those wonderful pictures from Disney World and now she REALLY REALLY wants to go there, too. And congratulations on the divorce! YAY! Finally!!! (You've been going through that divorce since I've known you.)

I guess going to Disney World was better than going the prom. Well, maybe.

Oh, BTW, nobody will EVER have shinier hair than Jenny. Nobody!!!

See ya soon.

Posted on Apr. 23rd, 2007 02:21 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]paulahy

OMG I seriously cannot see you in that last pic. LOL Love that! Poor JK, she's ruined it for all of us. :-)

-P
Posted on Apr. 21st, 2007 06:40 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]coebooth

I took a video clip of "the making of this photograph" and it's utter chaos! Hilarious.

Well, Harry Potter is ending soon. Hopefully, all the kids will turn their attention to other books, like YOUR new series! Congratulations again on the book deal. It's very, very cool.

Posted on Apr. 23rd, 2007 02:27 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]sarah_mae13

Spirited

I get to deal with that "spirit" after school every day, it's great :-)
Posted on Apr. 22nd, 2007 02:32 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]coebooth

Re: Spirited

You'll get your reward in heaven!!! :-)
Posted on Apr. 23rd, 2007 02:30 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]seaheidi

Thanks, Coe!

As you can see from Jenn's tutorials, I don't know quite what I'm doing yet--but getting the hang of it. Have a great time at FOB--sorry I can't make it. Maybe next year!
Posted on Apr. 26th, 2007 05:29 am (UTC) | | Thread | Reply