Your Area's Got Talent

Debbie, Natalie, Angie, Debbie, Lynn, Dawn, and Mary Ann (left to right)

The Michigan chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators fights the mid-winter blahs by arranging meet-ups of people interested in writing and/or illustrating for young people. Thanks to Charlie Barshaw for organizing Your Area's Got Talent groups throughout the state, and thanks to Angie Verges for putting together the Ann Arbor one, held February 17--the same day as Three Rivers and Traverse City.

Yet to come are Holland, Lansing, Marquette, Muskegon, Pinckney, Royal Oak, and Troy. If you'd like to get together with other children's-book people, R.S.V.P. to a host.

Besides Angie's site, the Ann Arbor group heard about book projects and blogging: Natalie Aguirre's www.literaryrambles.com, Lynn Baldwin's openheartsopenminds.blogspot.com, Debbie Taylor's sweetmusicinharlem.weebly.com, and Debbie Gonzales's books and educational guides: debbiegonzales.com.