When it finally sunk in that Where the Mountain Meets the Moon won a Newbery Honor, I have to admit I blew a kiss into the sky. It's no secret that the book is dedicated to Robert and my homage to what he brought to my life. And still does, in some ways.

I remember last month after my Today Show appearance, my friend Janet Wong and I decided to see a palm reader for a lark but instead of being amused, I was annoyed.


Because after hearing about Robert (another thing that bugged me was that she a...