Saturday, March 20, 2010

RIP Sid Fleischman

I learned via Facebook that Newbery award-winner Sid Fleischman died on March 17. The link goes to a lovely obituary over at SLJ, so it's definitely worth a click.

I met Sid Fleischman a few years ago at the LA Book Festival, when he was a mere 88 years old. I walked up at the very end of his booth time, as he was clearly ready to go, but he signed my book and listened to me witter fangirlishly with the utmost class and patience.

Condolences to his family and his many, many fans.

1 comment:

Chris Barton said...

When I attended a children's writing conference in L.A. seven years ago, before I knew much about anything, I found myself eating breakfast at the table right next to the one where Sid Fleischman and Norton Juster were dining together. Even then, I knew enough to know that that was something, and the more of Sid's work that my sons and I have read over the years, the more I've appreciated that morning.