Welcome, 2008!

I'm back in Smalltown and it's 2008! The past few days have gone by in a blur of travel, reading, family, and viruses, but now I'm ready to get back to work and thankful for it. (Oh, and it's caucus time here in Smalltown. After hundreds of hours of research [I'm not kidding], I have finally decided on my first choice. I'm still uncertain as to who my second choice will be if my first choice is not viable. I have three more hours to decide.)

• Yay for the Cybils lists! Four of the nine lists are now up and they are great ones this year. Check out Fantasy/SciFi, Fiction Picture Books, Poetry, and Middle Grade Fiction. The rest of the lists will be up on January 7, so keep watching.
• I have to say I'm thrilled that the U.S. finally has an Ambassador for Children's Literature.
  
• The Class of 2k8 is here. And, don't miss their blog. This group of writers, whose first books for children will be published in 2008, includes a member of my writing group, P.J. Hoover! I'll be following them closely.

Here's to 2008. I'll be posting shortly with my two paltry resolutions. 2007 was a big year for me, resolution-wise, so I'm keeping it simple in '08. Happy New Year, everyone!