Last month, I was at the Barnes & Noble Union Square here in New York.

I was sitting in the green room waiting for an author to arrive.

She was launching a new book that day and I was going to interview her on stage.

Out on the floor, 300 people were finding their seats.

This thing was sold out.

People at the door were getting turned away.

I have never seen a crowd this hyped for a book event.

It was kind of blowing my mind.

I have also never seen security guards at a book event.

But there they were, clearing the area as the author came up through the freight elevator.

She needed a human barrier to give her a little distance from her curious fans, most of whom

are under 12 years old.

When I go to schools, the kids always ask, how old are you?

And then I just tell them the year I was born and then there's like a split second pause

and then some kid finishes the math first and yells out my age and I'm like, very good.

And then the rest of the kids gas and go, that's my mom's age.

I think, yeah, that's cool.

Your mom was a kid once.

Your mom's probably super cool.

This, my friends, is Raina Talkamire.

If you have a child in elementary or middle school, chances are at least one of her graphic

novels has made it into your home.

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