Feeding my addictions . . .

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 

to the Tuesday Slice of Life sponsored by  Two Writing Teachers.

A game night on Friday night, 

a birthday breakfast with two friends on Saturday, 

and a Sunday afternoon nap with time to read my Mock Newbery title, Counting by 7s! 

A totally delightful weekend!

I fully intended to spend all of Veteran's Day tackling my never-ending pile of papers.

And then, this arrived in my inbox from a new contact at Random House: 

"Please join the University Bookstore staff for a presentation 

of recent and forthcoming books for grades K-12!

Local representatives from Random House Children's Books,

Penguin Books for Young Readers, and Scholastic 

will provide lunch, door prizes and a dazzling array of the latest and greatest, 

including regional opportunities and Common Core suitability."

Anyone who knows teachers knows that we're hooked 

by lunch, door prizes, and a dazzling array! 

So I was off to University Bookstore to be dined, door prized and dazzled. 

The papers could wait while I took this break.

Here's the booty I acquired for my classroom: 

6 advance reader copies, 

my door prize - a hardback copy of The Twistrose Key (complete with a dazzling cover), 

and a Jan Brett bag to carry my precious loot home.  

I exercised EXTREME SELF-CONTROL 

by allowing myself the purchase of just one book from the remainders table

AND NO TIME FOR MEANDERING

in the main bookstore!

I did browse the calendars and children's section
before the presentation began.

It was great fun to listen to the reps share

delightful books from their respective companies, 

bump into Susan who was our librarian for a short time,

and chat with the bookstore staff after the presentation.

Then it was back home to that pile of papers.

My heart sang each time I glanced at my bag
and thought of the treasures inside.

Tomorrow I'll share the dazzling array of new books with my students!