Anderson's Children's Lit. Author Breakfast

This weekend I went to the Anderson's Bookshop Children's Lit. Author Breakfast! The five keynote speakers with author/illustrators: Chris Grabenstein, Barney Saltzberg, Sara Pennypacker, Lauren Tarshis and Loren Long! There were probably 80+ other authors and illustrators there and there was one to connect with at each table. They also switched tables several times so we could connect and interact with other authors.
Chris Grabenstein demonstrated how he can create a story on the spot, which he also did when he visited our school last year. He shared some experiences that led him to where he is today, including doing improv. He shared his philosophy of saying "Yes...and," rather than "but..." which is great advice for teaching and collaborating too!
Sara Pennypacker talked about how she is an advocate for children and her process in writing Pax...which I can't wait to read.
Loren Long was also very inspirational as he talked about his newer book Little Tree. He said "if we don't accept change & hold onto fear, we stunt growth like a tree not letting go of its leaves."

The breakfast also featured book talks of great newer books, so of course I didn't leave without buying quite a few books. See below for a few of them: