Men: An Appreciation, Part 2. And OctoberPalooza Concludes.

On Sunday I attended an event called The Why Chromosome: Why Boys Do Read.
I saw something I have never seen before.
Ever.
I saw more than one man on a panel. They talked about writing good books and why boys read and books they read and all kinds of great stuff.
I know.
This event was as balm of Gilead for me. It is painful to experience the invisibility of half my students in so many elements of society,like education. And the book industry.
I know boys read. These authors know boys read.Boys know they read. And yet if you go into a major bookstore and go to the "Teen" section, you'd think that mostly/only girls read.
I know I have more to say about this whole event. Truth is, I was so excited by all of this that I felt like someone done give my brains a stir.
I need a few days to absorb and process.
In the meantime, let me say thank you to the remarkable men of the panel:
Andrew Smith,Greg Van Eekhout,Allen Zadoff,Jonathan Auxier,John Stephens, and G. Neri
This event was sponsored by Bridge to Books. Everyone involved in Bridge to Books should be showered with praise and funds so that they can continue to produce events like this.
And if you haven't been to Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop, you haven't really seen a bookstore. This is a bookstore to make the angels weep for joy.
And on a related note, we have a winner.
Thank goodness for randomizer.
Deb Marshall, you are now the proud owner of a signed copy of THE MARBURY LENS and page five of PASSENGER.
I thank all of you for your support and comments.
And a major league thank you to my friend Andrew Smith.