Some VERY exciting news: SMILE was recently named as an Honor Book in the 2010 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children’s Literature!! This is the first time a graphic novel has made it onto the list, and I’m extremely humbled to share the short list with such an amazing group of talented authors.

You can read the full press release here.

I’ll be traveling up to Boston in October for the awards ceremony, and look forward to meeting and congratulating the other winners and honorees!

Michigan was a blast, and I’m only home for two days this week before I jet off to Canada…here’s what I’ll be up to, up there:

Friday June 18th
Ladies’ Night at Strange Adventures
5262 Sackville Street
Downtown Halifax, NS
6pm to 9pm

This will be a lot of fun! Halifax’s own comic shop, Strange Adventures, is throwing a ladies-only party, so us girls can talk comics with other girls in a friendly, welcoming environment. I’ll have copies of Smile, the BSC books, and X-Men: Misfits. There will be prizes! And snacks! And I get to hang out with my friend Faith Erin Hicks, who is the event’s other special guest! I am told guys can hang out at the pub next door!

Saturday June 19
Grand Opening of Dartmouth Strange Adventures
101 Portland Street
Downtown Dartmouth, NS
Noon to 6pm

The next day, come celebrate the opening of Strange Adventures’ second store branch, in Dartmouth, NS–you can take a ferry to get there! Dave and I will both be signing and hanging out from 1-3. Everyone is welcome at this event, so I hope you’ll come by and say hello.

I’m looking forward to finally seeing the Maritimes–after our trip to Maine a few weeks ago, I’m craving more sea breezes and harbor views.

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I’ll post more about this next week, but: I’m going to be at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington DC, on Monday, July 28! I’ve got a panel & signing in the Graphic Novel Pavillion from 1-2. Librarians, I’d love to meet you and sign a copy of Smile for you!

I’m back from a fabulous time in North Carolina for Heroes Con (Friendly Southerners! Hot weather! The best cornbread I’ve ever had!) and am now gearing up for this coming weekend’s Kids Read Comics event in Dearborn, Michigan.

KRC is a free event taking place at the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, June 12 and 13. The weekend will feature hands-on workshops, panels, and presentations for kids, families, and educators. You can see the programming schedule here; I’m involved in the following events:

Panel Discussion – Drawing From Life
Sat, June 12, 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Not every comic tells a made up story about costumed adventurers, fantasy princesses or rodents dressed in human clothes. There are many engaging comics memoirs, histories, biographies and more that explore real people and real events. Join Dave Roman, Raina Telgemeier, Ryan Estrada, Jim Ottaviani, and Stephanie Mannheim as they talk with moderator Paul Storrie about how they’ve brought real life to life in comics form. All Ages.

Demo – Cartooning Styles
Sun, June 13, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Join cartoonists Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier for a humorous interactive presentation about art styles, featuring images of popular cartoon characters like Sponge Bob Squarepants and Mickey Mouse, and how different artists interpret them. Explore character design, followed by an interactive drawing demo, in which you, the audience, will instruct Raina in creating characters and images! All Ages.

Live Reading – Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman
Sun, June 13, 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman will read (and perform) chapters from their all-ages graphic novels as the illustrated panels are projected onto a large screen for all to see. They’ll also ask for some volunteers from the audience to play some of the characters. All Ages.

As I said, this event is totally free and open to the public, so you’ve got no excuse not to come. Bring the family! See you there!

Next up on my whirlwind tour is another event I’m particularly excited about: HEROES CON!

JUNE 4-6, 2010
Charlotte Convention Center
501 S. College St.
Charlotte, NC

I’ll be at TABLE 519 IN INDIE ISLAND!

I’m honored to be one of the guests in Indie Island, because from everything I’ve heard, this is the coolest place to be. I’ll be surrounded by friends and artists I admire. Please come by for a book, a sketch, or a chat! I’ve wanted to visit North Carolina for years (probably because of a certain obsession with Ben Folds Five…), but for whatever reason, it hasn’t happened until now. Heroes Con is said to be one of the most laid-back, family-friendly conventions out there, so I can think of no better way to greet the south.

The convention hours are as follows:

Friday: 11.00 am – 7.00 pm
Saturday: 10.00 am – 6.00 pm
Sunday: 11.00 am – 6.00 pm

Update: PANEL SCHEDULE!

Friday, June 4
3.00 PM
VOCATIONAL COMICS: Comics As Career
Room 207BCD
Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter meets with some of the brightest stars in the comic firmament to discuss how they learned to handle the age-old question: what do you do when comics becomes your livelihood? Joining Tom will be Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother), Meredith Gran (Octopus Pie ), Jim Rugg (Afrodisiac), Ed Piskor (Wizzywig) and Raina Telgemeier (Smile).

Sunday, June 6
3.00 PM
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL COMICS: What To Leave In, What To Leave Out
Room 208AB
Autobio comics have long been one of comics’ greatest and most idiosyncratic genres, focusing on the lives and memories of cartoonists and using comics as an immersive tool. Moderator Dustin Harbin discusses autobio comics and what makes them work (and not work) with Erika Moen (Dar), Ken Dahl (Monsters), and Raina Telgemeier (Smile).

Extreme thanks are due to Dustin Harbin, Heroes Employee Extraordinaire (and fellow dental drama buddy!), and Shelton Drum, owner of Charlotte’s own Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find comic book store, for inviting Dave and I to be a part of this wonderful event.

From everything I heard about last year’s inaugural MECAF, I’m pretty excited about this event. Saturday is programming-only, and the festival is working in conjunction with the Portland Public Library to present a free day of panels and discussions! The following day, Sunday, join us for the one-day festival itself.

Panels and Programming (Free!)
Portland Public Library
Main Branch, 5 Monument Square
Saturday, May 22

Cartooning Styles, 12:30 PM
A humorous presentation about art styles, featuring images of popular cartoon characters like Sponge Bob Squarepants and Mickey Mouse, and how different artists interpret them. Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman will talk about designing characters, and then give an interactive drawing demo, in which the audience will instruct Raina in creating characters and images.
Age range: 5 – 12

Live Comics Reading: Smile & Astronaut Elementary, 2:30 PM
Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman will read (and perform) chapters from their all-ages graphic novels, as the illustrated panels are projected onto a large screen for all to see. They’ll also ask for some volunteers from the audience to play some of the characters.
Age range: 5 and up

Sunday, May 23
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, MECAF (Kids 12 and Under are Free!)
Ocean Gateway (Directions)

I’ll post my table information as soon as I have it, but the show is small and chances are I’ll be in front of a certain Smile banner! This is where you can find me with lots of copies of Smile for sale, along with Baby-sitters Club graphic novels, artwork, t-shirts, and mini-comics! Have a book you would like me to sign? Bring it along!

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I’ve got three private events (two in NYC and one in Pittsburgh) between now and the 22nd, so no rest for me! TCAF, in Toronto last weekend, was also brilliant and I wish I had time to thank everyone who made my time there so wonderful. So much going on lately, and more to come!

No rest for the author with a new book out! On Saturday and Sunday, May 8 and 9, I will be in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for The Toronto Comic Arts Festival, otherwise known as TCAF!

Location: Toronto Reference Library
789 Yonge St., Toronto, Canada
When: May 8, 9-5 PM; and May 9, 11-5 PM.
Admission to TCAF is Free!!

Dave and I will be at Table 128, right next to our friends Frank Cammuso and Diana Tamblyn! Here’s a floormap of the show; we seem to be near the Library Info Desk. Look for my big ol’ Smile banner to find me (hint: it looks like this)!

Update: Panels and Programming!

Comics For Kids: What’s Next?
SATURDAY, May 8th, 2:45 – 3:30pm, Learning Center 1
Following the initial burst of graphic novels created and marketed specifically to young readers, where will the industry go? Find out from a panel of experts including editors, creators, teachers and librarians what’s working for young readers, what’s not working, who are reading these books and what’s next. Panelists include Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Frank Cammuso (Knights of the Lunch Table), Clayton Hamner (CTON’s Super A-maze-ing Year of Crazy Comics!), Eva Volin (Librarian), Karen Li (Editor, Kids Can Press) and Diana Maliszewski (Teacher), moderated by Scott Robins (Blogger, SLJ’s Good Comics For Kids)

KidsDraw: Turn Your Life Into Comics
SUNDAY, May 9th, 12:30pm-1:00pm, Novella Room
The inspiration for Raina Telgemeier’s newest book, Smile comes from her own life as a young girl. Get tips from her on how to get ideas from your own life to create your own autobiographical comics and watch her draw live.

The New Graphic Novelists: New Creators Transforming the Medium
SUNDAY, May 9th, 2:15 – 3:15pm, Learning Center 1
There is a pantheon of great graphic novelists — folks who started thinking about comics as singular, book-bound creations. But that concept has shifted since its conceptualization, and a collection of young creators are pushing the medium in fantastic new ways. Creators Joshua Cotter, Colleen Frakes, Ryan North, Dash Shaw, and Raina Telgemeier will discuss their experiences producing comics that alternately defy and embrace the term ‘graphic novel”. Moderated by Eva Volin.

Canadian friends, I hope to see you this weekend!

I finally wrote up two long, photo-heavy blog posts about my Smile tour to Chicago (for C2E2) and Portland (for the Stumptown Comics Fest)! They're over on my livejournal. Enjoy!

++Chicago++
++Portland++
++ALL THE PHOTOS++

WOW. What a wonderful time we had in both Chicago and Portland…there is so much to say, and so many people to thank, but it’ll have to wait for another post. In the meantime, I want to tell you about an event I’ve got on Saturday, May 1!

I’m taking part in a fun teen and tween author event at Books of Wonder, one of the best independent bookstores I’ve ever visited! Here is a rundown of the details:

Teen and Tween Author Event
With Deborah Wiles, Daniel Ehenhaft, and Raina Telgemeier
Saturday, May 1
Noon – 2 PM
Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York, NY

We’ll be speaking panel-style, talking about our respective works, and signing books! There will be plenty of copies of Smile for one and all. After you get your book signed, stick around and have a cupcake from the store’s adjoining Cupcake Cafe!

I’m still in Chicago, enjoying the last few hours of our visit here. Our time here has been great, and we still have our event at Challengers this evening, from 7-9. Looking forward to it! Then, it’s back on a plane and we head to Portland, Oregon for…

The Stumptown Comics Fest! I haven’t been to Portland (or Stumptown, for that matter) since 2008, so it will be nice to return. Dave and I will be at Table 102 at the festival, and we’ll have a ton of stuff, including shiny hardcover volumes of Smile! Please come and say hello!

I’ll be on one panel during the weekend:

Saturday, April 24, 2:00-2:45pm in the Oregon Room:
Comics for Young Readers — Comics and graphic novels for kids, teens, and tweens are quickly gaining popularity among readers. Join creators Hope Larson (Chiggers, Mercury), Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Baby-sitters Club), and Alexis Fajardo (Kid Beowulf).for a discussion on their work, their audience, and their influences. Moderated by author and librarian Sara Ryan (The Rules for Hearts). All ages welcome!

Prior to the convention, I’ll also be attending the west coast iteration of Drink and Draw Like a Lady, Friday evening at the Secret Society. I am also planning to eat a couple of those meals they call “brunch.” Mmmm, I can’t wait…

Well! MoCCA was a grand old time…until I came down with the flu. Luckily, the germs held off until the con was over, but I’ve been stuck in bed ever since.

This coming weekend, I plan on feeling 100% better, because I’ll be attending the inaugural C2E2 Convention in Chicago, IL! I haven’t been to Chicago in years, and I’m looking forward to revisiting the charms of the windy city. And Dave has never been, so I look forward to introducing him to authentic deep dish pizza!

We’ll be set up this weekend in C2E2’s Artist Alley, at Table K6. We’ll have a plethora of goodies for sale, including hardcover editions of Smile, BSC graphic novels, mini-comics, t-shirts, original art, and all of Dave’s comics, too!

Our schedules for the con are as follows:

Friday 12:15 – 1:15: Dave will be on the panel, The Magic of Reading from the Creator’s Perspective. Room E352.

Saturday 6:10: I’ll be participating in the Iron Artist Tournament, on the Variant Stage. There will be three rounds of 4 cartoonists each starting at 6:10, 6:50 and 7:30. Each round will involve 3 “art challenges” where they’ll be given 10 minutes to put their own unique spin on an idea suggested by our audience. I’m up at 6:10; please come watch me draw and cheer me on!

Sunday 11:00: Dave is on an Avatar panel! If you love the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender as much as we do, you’ll want to attend this one. The panel title is Avatar: The Last Airbender – Beginning and Beyond, and it takes place in room E350.

Sunday 12:30: I’ll be speaking on the panel Graphic Novel Events for Your School/Library. Should be interesting! Room E267.

Sunday 2-2:30: SMILE, LIVE ON STAGE!! I’ll be performing a scene from Smile, live on stage, with a few other actors reading different parts. On the Variant Stage.

Beyond that, we should be at our table all weekend. Please come by and say hello! We love meeting new people!

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We’re going to be in town for a few days beyond the con. I’m doing a private school visit on Monday afternoon, and then on Tuesday evening, we hope you’ll join us for…

Audiovisual Audacity with Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman!

@ Challengers Comics + Conversation
1845 N. Western Ave. 2R
Chicago, IL
Tuesday, April 20
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

KIDS OF ALL AGES: Do we have an event for you! Straight from New York, we’ve got authors RAINA TELGEMEIER (Smile, Babysitters Club) and DAVE ROMAN (Astronaut Elementary, Agnes Quill) giving an exciting sight-and-sound heavy presentation for young and old alike. HEAR Dave and Raina read from two of their all-ages graphic novels! SEE accompanying slideshows of both books! TASTE some cool snacks! SOME ACTION that signifies getting copies of SMILE and ASTRONAUT ELEMENTARY signed by the authors!

It’s going to be a fun night, so bring the whole family!

And after that, it’s on to Portland, OR, for the Stumptown Comics Fest…which I’ll talk about in its own post. What a crazy month!