Guess the kidlit desks contest

Many of your favorite authors/illustrators of children's/YA books have…

• revealed their superhero costumes (2012).
• read aloud bad reviews...of their own books (2014).
• seen their characters collide in (phony) merged sequels (2014).
• answered a Proust Questionnaire, kidlit-style (2015).

Now, inspired in part by a 1996 book called The Writer's Desk and in part because I've apparently got a thing for desks, you're about to see their workspaces. Actually, you're about to guess their workspaces. That's right...this time, it's a contest. And there are prizes. (Rules/deadline below.)

The 36 authors/illustrators/desks:

Tony Abbott ***	Jeff Mack ***
Tom Angleberger ***	Scott Magoon ***
Jonathan Auxier	Richard Michelson ***
Samantha Berger ***	Jerry Pallotta *
Lisa Brown	Matt Phelan *
Lauren Castillo *	Nora Raleigh Baskin ***
Matthew Cordell ***	Debbie Ridpath Ohi *
Sarah Darer Littman	Barney Saltzberg *
Sue Fliess	Steve Sheinkin
Liz Garton Scanlon ***	Neal Shusterman *
Chris Grabenstein	Andrew Smith ***
Deborah Heiligman *	Lemony Snicket
Barbara Kerley *	Elizabeth Rose Stanton
Daniel Kirk ***	Don Tate
Kirby Larson	Terry Trueman ***
Tara Lazar ***	Deborah Underwood ***
David Lubar ***	Eliza Wheeler *
Maryann Macdonald ***	Dan Yaccarino *

 

* = new participant in my kidlit side projects
*** = Triple Player (participated in bad reviews, Proust, and desks)

Because 36 participants would make this perhaps a bit too challenging, I have broken the contest into two subcontests, each with 18 desks to guess.

Do any desk photos contain clues to whose desks they are, such as a name on a sign or screen or an image in a framed photo? In a couple of instances, maybe…but so small, and so infrequent, I encourage you to skip that level of scrutiny. Instead take in the environment as a whole, take a guess, and take your chances.

In two cases, you are seeing the "summer desk"—the makeshift one in use where those authors/illustrators were vacationing when they received my call for entries.

To play:

1. In the comments section below, make two simple numbered lists (#1-18 for subcontest 1, #19-36 for subcontest 2) of your guesses by midnight EST at the start of August 26, 2016. (It'll be easier if you print both lists of authors to refer to rather than scroll up and down.)
2. Email me those same guesses so I can contact you if you win. (If you'd like to play but not for prizes, just skip this step.)

Winners will be announced here on August 27, 2016.

The prizes (three tiers):

• The three people who get the most right per subcontest (six total) each win a copy of my latest book Brave Like My Brother signed by any of the 36 participants. I'm (partially) kidding: each book will be signed, but unfortunately, only by me.
• Anyone who gets all 18 right in either subcontest also wins a second signed mystery book.
• Anyone who gets all 36 right (i.e. all 18 right in both subcontests) also wins a free school visit from me (U.S. only); if you are not affiliated with any school as either an educator or a parent, you may donate the visit to a school of your choice. (Sampling of feedback from my past school visits and other speaking engagements.)

Subcontest 1 of 2

The 18 authors/illustrators included here:

Dan Yaccarino
Lauren Castillo
Don Tate
Chris Grabenstein
Nora Raleigh Baskin
Eliza Wheeler
Jonathan Auxier
Lemony Snicket
Samantha Berger
Daniel Kirk
Matthew Cordell
Barbara Kerley
Kirby Larson
Lisa Brown
Andrew Smith
Elizabeth Rose Stanton
Deborah Heiligman
Deborah Underwood

The desks:

 1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 7

 8

 9

 10

 11

 12

 13

 14

 15

 16

 17

18

Subcontest 2 of 2

The 18 authors/illustrators included here:

Matt Phelan
Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Neal Shusterman
David Lubar
Tony Abbott
Liz Garton Scanlon
Tom Angleberger
Sarah Darer Littman
Richard Michelson
Barney Saltzberg
Sue Fliess
Tara Lazar
Terry Trueman
Jeff Mack
Steve Sheinkin
Maryann Macdonald
Scott Magoon
Jerry Pallotta

The desks:

 19

 20

 21

 22

 23

 24

 25

 26

 27

 28

 29

 30

 31

 32

 33

 34

 35

36

Good luck!

8/27/16 addendum: Answers/winners.