Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind

{Steph Su delivering her keynote speech at the 2013 AFCC} Last month, I was in Singapore for the 2013 Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) . I hope to share more blog posts (and other social media posts) about my time there, but I would like to start with my favorite session: "Getting the Most Out of Blogging" by very popular blogger Steph Su . This was the first year the AFCC had a day dedicated to AFCC Seminars, and there was a blogging track in it, which my fellow blogger Liyana Othman and I helped put together. "Getting the Most Out of Blogging" was Steph Su's keynote speech for the blogging track. She shared her blogging journey and the many insights she has picked up along the way, focusing on blogging and the self, blogging and friends, and blogging and professional success. {me and fellow blogger Liyana Othman} Maintaining my blogs isn't easy: One, it takes a lot of time and effort, especially because I try to pro...

The Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) Seminars are sessions that focus on specific aspects of the literary community and this year’s seminars are on young adult literature, the translation of children’s books, and blogging!  Of course I am writing this post to invite all of you to attend the blogging sessions. =D The AFCC Seminars are on Monday, May 27, and the first blogging session (9:15 - 10:15 a.m.) is a presentation from Steph Su entitled "Getting the Most Out of Blogging." Steph is a ROCK STAR in the YA book blogging world and you definitely don't want to miss her presentation. I'm moderating the next blogging session (10:15 - 11:15 a.m.), "Blogging - Today and Tomorrow," a conversation on the future of blogging and the blogging journeys of Steph Su and Candy Gourlay . While Steph is a rock star in the YA book blogging world, Candy is a rock star in the author blogging world and I am honored to be their moderator. The last blogg...

Hello! :o) You may be visiting Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind for the first time because you read about it in the Sunday Inquirer Magazine . Welcome! I've put together this post to introduce you to Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind and to the rest of the  kidlitosphere . Here are a few of my favorite Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind posts: Author Interview: Perpilili Vivienne Tiongson Illustrator Interview: Fereshteh Najafi Author/Illustrator Interview: Grace Lin 1st Philippine National Children's Book Awards Book Review: What shall I make? by Nandini Nayar and Proiti Roy Inspiration from the 3rd Asian Festival of Children's Content I highly, highly recommend these excellent Filipino book bloggers: Bibliophile Stalker Bookmarked! Chachic's Book Nook Coffeespoons Ficsation  Gathering Books School Librarian in Action You can follow me on my other social media accounts: My first blog (which I still maintain) Facebook Twitt...

Hi, guys! How are you? Exactly one week ago was International Book Giving Day (a day to give children new, used, or borrowed books!) and I know many of you book lovers celebrated. I celebrated by giving my neighbors' kids copies of But That Won't Wake Me Up! , written by Annie and Anelka Lumbao and illustrated by Liza Flores (Adarna House, 2010). Please, please share how YOU celebrated! To participate in the International Book Giving Day Blog Hop: 1. For those without a blog, please share your stories in the comments section of this blog post. =D 2. For those with a blog, write a post describing how you celebrated International Book Giving Day. A short and sweet post (e.g. a photo of you or your child giving away a book) is welcome! 3. Click on the "Add your link" button below and add the link to your post. Don't forget to check out the International Book Giving Day blog posts from all over the world!

Links, links, links! * Click here for a report on the very active Filipino reading community - it's my last post as the PaperTigers June guest blogger! * Author Candy Gourlay was one of the first to blog about the 3rd Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) in Singapore. Read her posts here . * Little, Brown editorial director Alvina Ling blogged about the AFCC and Book Expo America (BEA) here . Meeting Alvina was one of the highlights of the AFCC for me! =D *major fangirl spazzing* * Illustrator Blooey Singson summarizes the AFCC here . * Here author Trevor Kew shares key points he took away from the festival.

* This is my second guest blog post for PaperTigers . Please read it to find out about some new Philippine young adult literature. =D * Click here to read about a possible international book bloggers meetup. If it happens, I'll definitely be there! * Fantastic news! Tu Books has announced the first annual New Visions Award . The New Visions Award will be given for a middle grade or young adult fantasy, science fiction, or mystery novel by a writer of color. The winner receives a cash grant of $1000 and a standard publication contract with Tu Books. An honor winner will receive a cash grant of $500. Click here for more details. I look forward to reading the winning novels!

With Joo Hee Yoon at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast !

One of the influences and inspirations of this blog is Li and her blog GAL Novelty . Li took a long break from the blogosphere but is now back with a new blog, A World of Paper Hearts . Check it out! ~^o^~

* Fun =D Author/illustrator Grace Lin (sooooooo pretty and talented) has a project leaving pocket Pacys (tiny dolls of the main character in her middle grade novels The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat ) in different places in France. She's hoping people will pick up the pocket Pacys and travel with them. * Intriguing! Marc Tyler Nobleman is using his blog to pitch his picture book manuscript featuring WWII navy pilot Nobuo Fujita, the first and still only man to complete an aerial attack on American soil. Link here . Thanks to Greg Pincus for this tip. * Sorry :o( Still haven't finished tagging each blog post by country. >_ * Watch out for . . . My interview with author/illustrator Joyce Wan . She's committed to cuteness! * And ooohhh . . . Tulika Books USA ! Tulika, you really know what you are doing.

I had the great privilege of being a speaker and facilitator at the 2011 Asian Festival of Children's Content in Singapore. It was an honor - and great fun! - to be part of a panel discussion with Corinne Robson, associate editor and blog "Eventful World" coordinator of PaperTigers , and Dr. Myra Garces-Bascal, educator and founder of GatheringBooks . (Thank you so much, Myra, for putting the panel together!) Our panel discussion was an introduction to the kidlitosphere and the YA blogosphere , and how Web 2.0 can be used to build a world of readers. I really believe in the power Web 2.0 has in building a world of readers. From the family of children's book bloggers to book trailers that create a need for YA books, and book fandoms on Tumblr to authors interacting with their fans through Twitter and Facebook, the book blogosphere and Web 2.0 in general can be very effective in strengthening and growing the community of readers. I could talk about this topic all da...