But it's like these little cardboard stands of the books that they were always trying to promote and they would have them out in front of the store. That's what we call them in the industry. I remember when I was a kid, I would go to the mall and there was this really small bookstore in the mall, and they would always have these, we call them cardboard dumps.

When you were saying that you always dreamed of having your book in the library or in the bookstore, I think I have the same exact dream. But just walking into a store without making a big deal out of it, without doing an event, and seeing that it was still there and still very real was just a very surreal, very vivid image in my mind of just seeing my book out in the wild. I'd already signed some hardcover copies. I mean, I had obviously already seen it, because my book had been out. And yeah, I managed to find it sitting with the middle grade fantasy section. And I purposely went in there not telling anyone who I was, and I just wanted to try to find my book. Katie Zhao: I remember walking into, I think it was a bookstore in New York, I think it was a Strand, and it was right after my release date pretty much. Grace Lin: When was the first time you saw your book at the library or in a store? Do you remember it? It's totally my favorite part of being an author. So to know and to be able to see my books at libraries and bookstores and see my name on a cover, and also see characters who look like me reflected in those books that I wrote, it's such a dream come true. I loved reading books so much, and I would basically live at the library. When I was a kid, I always wanted to be an author. Katie Zhao: Oh my gosh, this is such a great question. Grace Lin: Okay, today's question is from a person named Mia and they ask, 'What is it like to see your book at a library or anywhere book related?' Thanks so much for inviting me onto your podcast. Today, I'm here with Katie Zhao, the author of the middle grade novel, The Dragon Warrior. Grace Lin: Hello, I'm Grace Lin, children's book author and illustrator of many books, including the middle grade novel, When The Sea Turned To Silver, and the picture book, A Big Mooncake For Little Star. Welcome back to another great episode of Kids Ask Authors! Grace Lin and Katie Zhao answer the kid question: “What is it like to see your book at a library or anywhere else book related?”

Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao