Author and literacy champion David Baldacci, Auditorium Speaker at ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits

CHICAGO — David Baldacci is passionate about literacy and reading, believing that “the ability to read is the foundation for everyday life.” One of the world’s bestselling authors, he has more than 110 million copies of his novels in print in more than 45 languages and 80 countries. He and his wife Michelle also created a foundation to combat illiteracy in the US — they believe that “virtually none of the major issues we face as a nation today can be successfully overcome until we eradicate illiteracy.” ALA Midwinter Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to hear him speak about the range of his work when he joins us as an Auditorium Speaker from 10 - 11 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26.

Baldacci left a well-established law practice in Washington, D.C. for his writing career. His first novel, “Absolute Power,” was made into a movie starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman. His “King & Maxwell” series was made into a TV series and premiered on the TNT Network in June 2013. His most recent book for young readers, “Day of Doom” (2013, Scholastic) was the final book in the bestselling multi-platform “The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers” story arc. In March 2014, Scholastic will publish “The Finisher,” a fantasy novel for children that follows the adventures of a determined young heroine named Vega Jane, who lives in an ordinary world with extraordinary secrets.

Although he is involved with several philanthropic organizations, Baldacci’s greatest efforts are dedicated to his family’s Wish You Well Foundation® that supports family and adult literacy in the US by fostering and promoting the development and expansion of new and existing literacy and educational programs. You can visit Baldacci at his website.

Baldacci’s appearance is sponsored by Scholastic.

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China through David Beckham’s eyes

SINGAPORE - David Beckham’s been busy post-retirement – he’s currently on a week-long tour in China as ambassador to the Chinese Super League.

And, oh, he’s also posting selfies on his brand new Sina Weibo account.

The 38-year-old’s posts range from photos of himself looking dapper in a private jet – “Landed in Nanjing, a city I have never been to before. I’ve been told it’s 95 degrees!” – to simple observations about his trip – “Love Beijing, although not his traffic jam. Had a good day so far”.

Beckham also held a question and answer session with followers on Weibo, responding to fan queries about his trip and his favourite sports-related hobbies.

But the former England captain denied reports that he’s been approached by NFL (America’s National Football League) scouts.

“That is not true. In terms of rugby, I think I may be too old now,” he posted in reply to a fan’s question.

Even though the football superstar’s only been microblogging for two days, he already has close to half a million followers.

Beckham’s also following six other Weibo users at the moment, including the Chinese Super League and his wife Victoria Beckham, who has more than 1.3 million followers.

Click on the photos for a glimpse of Beckham’s Weibo posts.

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