The last stop of my short tour took me Eastward, over to Mize Attendance Center in Mize, MS! I was on the big stage this time and had the unique opportunity to perform for 2nd graders all the way up to 8th graders. All grades were very polite and were full of fun questions. I even had one boy ask who was my favorite superhero. It’s always cool to see when, after I give my answer (Batman), most of the boys in the audience raise their hands triumphantly and high-five each other. It’s true, I’m more of a DC guy than a Marvel guy.
Thanks to Mr. Jones for inviting me (I enjoyed talking bees and blueberries between shows). Thanks to Mrs. Adams for taking pictures and to Mrs. White for all the help. And a big thanks to the wonderful students at Mize Attendance Center. You were the perfect end to my first Mississippi tour!
Another day in Mississippi and another welcome sign in front of Madison Avenue Upper Elementary, in Madison, MS! I had a fast and furious morning with three shows for all the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Just like their younger counterparts next door, everyone was excited, full of questions, and extremely polite; I heard “yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir” so many times, I felt like an officer in the Army. I had the pleasure of meeting many of them personally when I signed 200 copies of my Night of the Dragons book!
During a signing break, I had a chance to meet a fellow author and teacher at MAUE, Mrs. Michelle Smith. She gave me a copy of her first book all about the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Don’t worry, her colorful book makes it much clearer than it sounds. It’s called What in the World is Common Core? and it’s illustrated by DeAnna Backel. You can get your copy HERE or simply click the book cover below.
Thanks to Mrs. Berry and the PTO for having me out and giving me a big Mississippi welcome for the second day in a row–I think Mrs. Berry did great organizing her first author visit! And thanks to all the wonderful students at Madison Avenue Upper Elementary. I hope you all enjoy your books!
My first ever school visit to Mississippi greeted me with a welcome sign right out front of Madison Avenue Elementary, in Madison, MS! Inside, I was greeted by tons of students who already knew me on sight and were anxious to see the show! I went on to give three performances for Kinder, First, and Second Grade with plenty of book-signing in between.
For more pictures from the action-packed day (as well as some previous MAE author and illustrator visits), be sure to visit the official MAE Library website HERE.
Thanks to Mrs. Wilson for making my first school visit in Mississippi a true pleasure. Thanks to her again and the MAE PTO for inviting me. Thanks to Katia for taking pictures and for all her help. Thanks to all the kids who brought books to sign and a big Texas thank you from me to all the MAE students! I hope you had as much fun watching as I did performing!
The first author visit of the school year had me at my first school that shared a name AND a street address–Stults Road Elementary, in Dallas, Texas! It was a fast and furious day with three shows back-to-back, beginning in the cafeteria with the Kinder, 1st, and 2nd graders. It was the first show of the morning so I had to wake them up with boisterous entertainment, in which they joined nicely along the way. Then, it was off to the library for two more shows with the rest of the school, 3rd & 4th graders, and then the 5th and 6th graders!
I had time to rest and enjoy a nice lunch with several 1st graders. They were full of lovely questions (as well as cheeseburgers–it was cheeseburger day, after all), and I learned what everyone planned to be for Halloween. It was great meeting and eating with: Abigail, Denise, Fernanda, Justice, Kevin, Khamani, and Mrs. Page.
I rounded out the day with a classroom visit and some book signing. Thanks to Ms. Johnson for inviting me and thanks to all the students at Stults Road Elementary. A great group of kids, you were polite, inquisitive, and made my first author visit of the school year quite an enjoyable one!