Well, the first YA Fest is history, and I think it was a huge success. It was last year, while I was planning to attend the Rochester Teen Book Festival, that I told Jen Murgia that I was excited about the event, but lamented that there weren't any YA events in the Lehigh Valley. "Wouldn't it be cool," I said, "If we could have one RIGHT HERE?"
Walking in to the festival yesterday morning, it was like Jen and everyone involved, had plucked the dream right out of my head and made it a reality. I got a little teary-eyed, seeing everything they had done. First-time events are rarely perfect, and of course there were minor bumps, but all-in-all, the event was as perfect as I could have ever imagined. Just a whole slew of people (and yes, it was packed!) who enjoyed YA and books as much as I do.
Me and Jen (and all our neat swag!)
Josh Berk and Jeff Hirsch signing books and chatting with fans!
MasterBerk Theater Live was a hit. Even Magic Sea Otter would agree. We also learned that Jeff Hirsch and Margie Gelbwasser are shameless liars and that Jon Skovron will stop at nothing in the name of research. And, we now hold the world record for the largest number of YA authors reading from a YA book at once, or something like that. Yay, us! Here's the video:
Jen got her very own Angel Star!
It was standing-room only at some of the author panels. Here Anne Greenwood Brown, Charles Benoit, Barbara Dee, and Michelle Zink talk about their books.
Shannon Delaney talks to fans.
Michael Northrop signs books.
I just want to thank everyone involved, especially the Stephanie Supinski, the Volunteens, and everyone at the Easton Library. You truly made it a special day for all of us! I hope we can do it again next year!
