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Hi, Everyone. I'm having an unexpectedly busy week (the FLU hit here in Smalltown, and not one member of the family escaped unharmed), but I thought I'd check in with a few items of note:

First of all, thanks to all of you who have written in about The Edge of the Forest submissions. I have set aside a few hours tomorrow for planning and I'll get back to you right away.

In a first, my day life collides with my blogging life. Graphic Novelist Josh Elder (whose Mail Order Ninja I reviewed here) is visiting and will be giving a writer's talk tomorrow night. Over dinner he told me about...

Kids Love Comics! Maybe you all know about Kids Love Comics! and I just missed the boat somehow. Anyway, this group of graphic novelists has banded together to give talks, presentations, workshops, you name it. An awesome endeavor. (You can check out their reading list here.) One suggestion: Add a blog, folks!

Today we learned of the demise of the Nestle Children's Book Awards in the U.K. Sad news. But here's a university in the U.K. getting kids into the act of judging: The Bolton Children's Book Awards lets children 11-14 select their favorite book from a shortlist. And, guess whose book is on the shortlist? Nick Green! Author of The Cat Kin, and blogger at Green Knight's Chapel.

I'm sort of embarrassed to bring this up, but Esme Raji Codell (!) just awarded me a "Lion Award" from the Shameless Lions Writing Club . The award is in honor of "those people who have blogs we love, can't live without, where we think the writing is good and powerful." All I can say is--if you'll allow me this tween moment--OMG! And, thanks, Esme. I'm definitely blushing now. Esme is a wonderful writer, children's book activist, and first class blogger, so I'm beyond honored.

But, why am I embarrassed? Here's why: This award reminded me that the fabulous Shelf Elf awarded me this prize in December. During a blogging break. I had meant to pay it forward and then forgot! (BTW: If you haven't bookmarked or added Shelf Elf to your reader, please do so today. Shelf Elf is a great kidlit blog--Kerry writes beautiful reviews.)

The upside? I get to give 10 awards!

Okay, gotta run. The Cybils blog needs some feeding. Just one word of advice before I go: Get a flu shot. It's not too late!

Author and certified Readiologist(TM), Esme Raji Codell has so many children’s books in her collection that she and her husband decided to give the books their own home. The result is something Esme calls the Gingerbread Apartment of Planet Esme, the manifestation of the website PlanetEsme.com.

On this edition of Just One More Book, Mark speaks with Esme Raji Codell about Planet Esme, her efforts to help educate people about great children’s books, and her thoughts on what children’s books can do to change the world.

You can read more about The Gingerbread House of Planet Esme here. 

Colourful characters, great dialogue and the unbelievably generous hospitality of kidlit authors Robin Brande and Esme Raji Codell made this wonderful weekend of laughs and learning well worth the death defying flight that got us there. What a great bunch of intelligent, creative and totally fun people. We can’t wait til next year!

See our flickr photos here.

You can read more about 1st Annual Kidlitosphere Conference here and here and here and here…and here and here and here …

Hours into challenge: 45.5
Hours spent reading/blogging: 24
# Books Read: 8 total, 1 partial
# Pages Read: 1980

Diary of a Fairy Godmother by Esme Raji Codell (170 pages)

Hunky Dory is the at the top of her class in charm school. Her mother knows that she will grow up to be the wickedest witch wherever the four winds blow...

But then, Hunky discovers that what gives her the most satisfaction is granting wishes, and witches don't get satisfaction from granting wishes. Fairy godmothers do. What's Hunky to do?

Funny and smart, with a cast of familiar characters, this book was great. I especially liked spoiled Golidlocks. The illustrations by Drazen Kozjan add a lot. It contains a recipie for booger cookies at the end and an excellent supplemental reading list.

We're into the final stretches-- 2.5 more hours. Ihope I can finish another book in the time!