a chick with sticks (and a computer)

Round up your mama and bring her to book club

Tomorrow at 2 p.m. I’m going to sit in on a mother/daughter book club at the lovely Barnes & Noble in Alpharetta, Georgia. The folks at this particular B & N are my heroes. They LOVE the Chicks and chat them up to every teenage girl who wanders their way, looking for something non-morose to read. Of course, I love the the B & Ners right back and can’t wait to hang with them at the book club. Especially now that I’m part of a mother/daughter team! Not that LaLa knows from books, yet. I’ve been reading to her lately from the Nutshell Library and “Diary of a Worm.” I ADORE them, but she’s sort of indifferent. She prefers mobiles and rattles over books but GIVE HER TIME. She’ll be a reader yet. She does like the cover of Chicks with Sticks. It’s all the bright colors!

Every once in a while, Husband and I contemplate how weird it would be if we—a couple of total booksluts—had created a math/science kid who’s not interested in reading. Anything’s possible, I suppose. But if it’s the case, we’re in trouble. We’ll have to get one of LaLa’s many doctor-uncles to help her with her science homework. And perhaps she can help me with MY algebra homework retroactively.

Speaking of people who hate algebra, I met Meg Cabot the other day! We got acquainted from afar when CHICKS was featured on her book club last year, but this was our first time meeting in person. She was in Atlanta for the big romance writers convention AND a visit to the Margaret Mitchell House. Margeret Mitchell (who wrote "Gone with the Wind," y'all) is perhaps the only writer who has sold more books than Meg Cabot, but I bet it’s by a slim margin. Hearing Meg introduced as the author of millions and MILLIONS of books sold around the world was inspiring and humbling indeed. But of course in person, Meg doesn’t come off like this very important, world-famous author. She’s more like someone you totally want to have lunch with in the school cafeteria because she has the best gossip and she’ll make you laugh so hard you spray TaB out of your nose. LaLa was duly respectful and didn’t start crying until the very end of Meg’s Q & A. Go LaLa. Some day I’ll read her the Princess Diaries.

Okay, off to write. Please come knit & chat with us tomorrow at Barnes & Noble. I have it on good authority that one eight-month-old boy will be there wearing a dress so he’ll blend in with the daughters. THAT’S how hot this ticket is.

See you there!

xoxo

Elizabeth

Older? Indeed. Wiser? I'll have to get back to you.

So my birthday was Sunday, which makes me THIRTY SIX years old. The spring chicken in the house thinks this is VERY funny.

The birthday post is supposed to be all thoughtful and existential, but truthfully? I have too much else to write today to be thoughtful and existential. Plus it's too hot! Plus I have to be thoughtful and existential about the state of affairs in my state, since today is the Georgia primaries. I must say, our selection of candidates is downright unappetizing, but if you don't vote, you can't complain about the government so to the polls I go!

More later!

xoxo

Elizabeth

Next stop. . . .

The Chicks have been suffering from a serious case of wanderlust. They’re sick of just being sold in the United States and Canada. Sure they were excited when a honeymooning friend spotted them in a library in Juno, Alaska AND a farmers market in the wilds of Montana. They're thrilled to get e-mails from all over the country. But you know those adventurous Chicks! Once they got a taste of the world beyond Chicago, they wanted to go even further.

And now they have their chance. Because CHICKS WITH STICKS is going to be published in Serbia!

That’s right. Serbia!

I know that seems a little obscure. Most girls traveling abroad for the first time start off with some place a bit more traditional — say the south of France or Tuscany. But the Chicks are more original than that. They’re gratefully heading off to Serbia, knitted backpacks in hand.

And their author is mighty proud.

As is the author’s offspring. Check it out—LaLa’s already shilling for Mom with the help of a onesie crafted by our fab friend Reva:

Talk soon!

xoxo

Elizabeth