A tough winter calls for a nice summer, but I don't think any of us expected it this soon! It's as though we leapfrogged right into summer and some sweltering heat. Thankfully my family was able to get our pool ready just in time. Although it's been hot and humid here in the Northeast, I'm preparing to head into even hotter weather when I travel to New Orleans in about a week to attend the American Library Association's annual conference. Wish me luck!

It’s been a busy couple weeks, and it’s nice to be back reporting to you on what’s going on in comics.

The week before Memorial Day still seems like a blur with all the goings-on at BookExpo America. The show was a huge success (publishers are more positive about things than I’ve seen in a while), and comics and graphic novels definitely had a place at the show, though fewer publishers were exhibiting than usual. It was incredibly nice to see the upcoming books and get to catch up with our comics publisher friends. And it was a lot of fun to moderate the Hot Fall Graphic Novels for Libraries panel on Wednesday, which, despite its title, included picks from throughout 2011 and was also geared toward retailers and general readers. The hour-long presentation was nicely attended, and all the panelists provided a very balanced look at kid, teen, and adult books to keep an eye out for (to see the list of books picked, click here). The panelists included college librarian Karen Green, New York City librarian Ryan Donovan, New Jersey high-school teacher Leigh Brodsky, and retailer Jeff Ayers…it was a nice mix of opinions and experiences!