Welcome, all you first-time Bartography readers who have found your way here from my guest post at Reading Is Fundamental’s blog. Bartography veterans, I hope you’ll pay a visit to Rasco From RIF and make a habit out of it.

Want to win a signed copy of The Day-Glo Brothers or Shark Vs. Train or an advance, uncorrected proof of my next book, Can I See Your I.D.? Soon — very soon — I’ll be sending out the new edition of my occasional Bartography Express newsletter, and as always, one subscriber will get a free book. How do you subscribe? See the box on my home page — but hurry…

The big literary event here in Austin every fall is the Texas Book Festival. This year’s lineup of authors was announced this past week, and I could not be more excited about being included. Seriously — take a look at who all’s coming to town, and then make sure you join them October 16 and 17.

Also speaking of big events — and of big events in which I’m delighted to play a part — registration is now open for the 2011 Regional Conference put on by the Austin Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Is this conference for you? Only if there’s some appeal in spending a weekend learning from a Caldecott medalist, a National Book Award winner, editors who have worked with Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling, the agent who sold Newbery honoree The Underneath, etc.

Of course, an event doesn’t have to be big in order for it to be meaningful — especially when the audience is a group of young readers with the opportunity to connect with the author or illustrator of one of their favorite books. To help schools and libraries find Texas-based creators of books for children and young adults, SCBWI chapters from all over the state collaborate each year on a guide to available speakers. Here’s the PDF version of this year’s guide, and here’s a little information about getting included in next year’s guide.

Finally, if you’re interested in what Marilyn Carter, Lisa Lawrence, and I had to say during our recent Writers’ League of Texas panel on publicity, video from the event is available on YouTube. Bethany Hegedus (author of the upcoming Truth, With a Capital T) offered a recap on her blog, one of the many reasons to spend time getting to know Bethany and her writing.