Starfish behind, starfish ahead

I’m at one of NYC’s bustling airports so full of the joy of this fascinating city.

I’m looking behind me…thinking about the talented young man who designed the visuals for the NYC store (and I loved standing there listening to the bird calls), thinking about Lisa and Paul’s cozy and warm apartment in Brooklyn, thinking about all the girls I talked to at the store who see themselves in the pages of Lanie’s books.  That’s one of the delights of reading…we see ourselves and our interests and think yay.  It’s thrilldom to talk to so many kids who explore in their own backyards and talk to me about the flowers and butterflies and bugs they see while they’re exploring.

I’m looking ahead, too.  I’ll only have a few days at home before a trip that starts with LA (American Girl store, bookstores, LA Times Book Festival) and has Chicago and IRA in the middle–and ends with a fundraiser for Ethiopia Reads in Boulder and Denver.   Whew!  The power of volunteers.  The power of throwing one starfish at a time.  The power of books.