This summer I didn't venture too far from home, except for a weekend at the American Library Association (ALA) conference in Anaheim. Here is a photo during my session signing books at Lee & Low's booth, showing off f&gs of my upcoming fall release, Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building.

I also signed Our School Garden! for Philip Lee's new publishing venture, Readers to Eaters. I worked in-house in publishing for many years, so it is fun when old friends and colleagues come West and I can see them.

One highlight of the summer was celebrating my mother's 90th birthday. I am fortunate that she is healthy in body and mind, and lives only five blocks away.

I traveled vicariously when my daughter went to Madagascar. She has been studying mouse lemurs with a research group at Stanford. This work culminated in the rainforest with the Stanford group teaching biochemistry to Malagasy students. Here are some Malagasy boys and the endangered Greater Bamboo Lemur (only 15 left and she saw two).

I also spent the summer developing curriculum for a new Graphic Design program I am teaching part time at my daughter's high school (my old hs). Kate is a senior this year, so I am invading her territory, but she has been most gracious about my arrival. Summer ends early here; we're already in the fourth week of school!