Back to Brooklyn!

I was born in Brooklyn. That's more than a statement--it's kind of a badge of honor. Brooklyn may be one of the five boroughs, but it's a world of its own, with its special neighborhoods, foods, and even its own unique language. (And it also has our fearless editor, Michelle now!) It's a unique place in the universe, and even though my family moved away when I was just nine, I still have an attachment to the place. Maybe it's because I was the third generation Brooklynite in my family! With roots like that, I guess you could say my family Tree Grows in Brooklyn --one of my fave books, of course!
I've been living in Manhattan for so long now, though, that I'd sort of forgotten where those roots were. So I was really glad to go to Bay RIdge Brooklyn this weekend for a signing at a store called The Bookmark Shoppe. Sure it was an hour on the R train each way, but it was worth it. The minute I went above ground, I was greeted by the smell of the best pizza I've ever eaten (South Beach diet be damned!) and some of the nicest people I've ever met. This store is not part of a chain. It's a neighborhood bookstore where the owners literally know all of their customers by name. And even more importantly, they know books! Kids came in with their moms to talk about my Katie Kazoo books for younger kids, and some young teens stopped by to pick up copies of She's Got the Beat amd talk about . . .books! We had a blast. In short, they made me feel at home. Which is where I was, sort of, I guess.. .