Graphic Novels, authors showcased at 2010 ALA Annual Conference

CHICAGO – Join graphic novelists David Small and Audrey Niffenegger for the first-ever Graphic Novel Panel during the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2010 Annual Conference, June 24 - 29, in Washington, D.C.

The program will take place from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Monday, June 28, at the Washington Convention Center and will focus on the importance of graphic novels’ place in the library and their power to reach out to reluctant readers.

David Small is an award-winning author and illustrator whose drawings regularly appear in The New Yorker and The New York Times. His first picture book, “Eulalie and the Hopping Head,” was published in 1981 and to date he has illustrated more than 40 picture books.

His books have been translated into several languages, made into animated films and musicals and have won many of the top awards in illustration, including the 1997 Caldecott Honor for “The Gardener” written by his wife, Sarah Stewart, and the 2001 Caldecott Medal for “So, You Want To Be President?” by Judith St. George.

Most recently, Small wrote the memoir “STITCHES” which was nominated for a National Book Award. His appearance is sponsored by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Audrey Niffenegger is the author of the international bestseller “The Time Traveler's Wife,” as well as “Her Fearful Symmetry.” She is also the author and illustrator of two ‘novels-in-pictures’ – “The Three Incestuous Sisters” and “The Adventuress.” Her new book, “The Night Bookmobile,” is a graphic novel coming out in September 2010. Niffenegger’s appearance is sponsored by Abrams ComicArts.

Also new to this year’s ALA Annual Conference is the Graphic Novel Pavilion. The pavilion, located in the exhibit hall from Friday, June 25 – Sunday, June 28, will feature graphic novel publishers as well as game manufacturers, platform companies and vendors offering electronic games, board games, card games and other products and services used for curriculum-based teaching and recreation.

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

For more information on the 2010 Annual ALA Conference, please visit the ALA Conference Web site at www.ala.org/annual, or contact ALA Media Relations Manager Macey Morales at (312) 280-4393, mmorales@ala.org, or ALA PR Coordinator Jennifer Petersen at (312) 280-5043, jpetersen@ala.org.

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