So, I’ve been excited for a long while about this weekend’s Texas Book Festival here in Austin. Among the children’s and YA panels and presentations are — both at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday — Rick Riordan and “The Long Run: Becoming a Man in Young Adult and Middle Grade Novels.” I could do worse than attending either one.

But this past weekend, I read and loved Tom Perrotta’s The Abstinence Teacher, and he’s speaking at 2 p.m. in the House Chamber. I’ve love to hear what he has to say, especially with his book still so fresh in my mind.

My mission for the weekend is not feeding the adult reader in me, but rather seeing how published and polished children’s and YA authors do their thing in front of a crowd. Hmmm.