What A PJ Library Authors’ Retreat Looks Like

A group of people posing for a photo

In 2018, when PJ Library offered me the chance to go on their inaugural Author Israel Adventure with a team of fellow children’s book authors and illustrators, I said “yes, please!”

And in 2021, when they invited me to spend a few days at the Highlights Foundation in Pennsylvania on a retreat with some of my Israel trip pals, I had the same answer. If you’ve never been on a retreat, I can tell you that it is an incredibly wonderful thing -- especially if it is at Highlights!

A person sitting on a stone ledge
People posing in a forested background

With a free schedule and few, if any, obligations (no dishes to do!), you can roll up your sleeves and really immerse yourself in your existing projects. And if you’re lucky,  your newly relaxed brain might also dream up some new ones. It was particularly fun to get to do this with my Israel trip companions, most of whom I don’t get to see as often as I’d like.

We went on hikes, held impromptu doodling sessions, wrote and schmoozed by the incredible outdoor fireplace, laughed and bounced new ideas off each other. For an extra treat, many of the authors who went on the 2019 Author Israel Adventure came on the retreat as well. So: old friends AND new friends, a beautiful setting, uninterrupted writing time, delicious meals -- and did I mention no dishes to do? The point being, whenever PJ Library offers you an opportunity, the answer should be: YES!

Guest post by Erica S. Perl