Popular children's book author Lisa Yee is in Honolulu for this week's National League of American Pen Women's conference.

Her works are geared toward middle-school-aged readers, earning Yee praise from Publishers Weekly, USA Today and even the Fox Sports Network. The author's delightful debut novel, "Millicent Min, Girl Genius," won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. It's a funny book.

The main character in "Girl Genius," Millicent, is an 11-year-old certified genius — who is also socially inept and deliciously quirky. Millicent's motto: "Better an hour early than one minute late."

Other novels include "Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time," "So Totally Emily Ebers," "Absolutely Maybe" and "Good Luck, Ivy."

"Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally)" is just out, and it is the first of a new series for Yee, who has more than 900,000 books in print.

While Yee's books are for young readers, more than a dozen other writers are taking part in the Pen Women's event.

Advertiser columnist Charles Memminger, twice named top humor columnist in the country for newspapers with a circulation under 100,000, will discuss comedy writing.

Frank South, with 20 years of experience working in Hollywood, will hold a workshop on writing for TV and film. South has written, produced and directed shows including "Cagney and Lacy" and "Melrose Place."

Mia King, national bestselling author of "Good Things," "Sweet Life" and "Table Manners," will address the topic of writing a memoir.