GEN: I saw JK Rowling last night!

[Susan Choi <smchoi@IX.NETCOM.COM>]

Just had to share with all of you -  J.K. Rowling was in San Jose last
night.  The event was sponsored by the great bookstore here in San Jose,
Hicklebee's, and the Santa Clara County Reading Council.  The original
venue, Willow Glen HS Cafeteria, was quickly ruled too small, when ticket
demands skyrocketed.  The bookstore sold out their first 200 tickets in
an hour.  All in all, there were over 800 people, about half kids, in
attendance and Jo (as she's called) signed one book for each of them. Jo
has signed over 30,000 autographs on her US tour and had to spend some
time icing her hand in the middle of the evening.

 It was very well organized with Reading Council members and several
dozen kids in costume as Hogwarts characters.  One giant sized man (a
professional storyteller) with red hair and beard made a terrific Hagrid.
 There were door prizes - two brooms (Firebolt had red shiny flames
coming out of the end), Golden Snitches (hand made), and Harry t-shirts.

Ms. Rowling talked about being here last October at Hicklebee's to sign
books and there were more staff members present than there were people
who wanted autographs.  They even had time to go out for lunch!  A lot
has changed in one year.  If anything, this made me realize that I'm
going to go to meet those new authors and get to know them and their
work.   Who knows where they will be in a year or two.

There is an audiotape of the first book, read by Jim Dale (remember him
from Pete's Dragon?)  I bought it and my one hour commute this morning
didn't seem so long when I could be transported to Harry and the
Dursleys.



Susan Martimo Choi
Manager, Library Services
Santa Clara County Office of Education
1290 Ridder Park Drive, #232
San Jose, CA 95131-2398
HM EMAIL: smchoi@ix.netcom.com
WK EMAIL: susan_choi@sccoe.org

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to:
listserv@listserv.syr.edu   In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
4) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv.
For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.html
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=