This morning I’m on my way to back to Austin, Texas, but last night our old friends Dororthy and Greg Patent stopped by on their way south for dinner and a couple of nights on the farm. Dorothy has written over 130 books. (Go to her link on my home […]
I had dinner last night at Glenda, Tom, and Levon’s along with our old motorcycle friends Marie and Chuck. It was great to see them. I’m at Coleman Elementary in St. Joe, MO today with my sister, 4th grade teacher Brenda Smith and librarian extraordinaire Suzanne Thomas. They could not […]
That little elephant’s luck held long enough to get me to Atlanta, but then he went out into forest to eat and took his luck with him. Without going into the all too common flying glitches, I got to the hotel in Belton, MO at 2AM with the help of […]
I’m at Buford Middle School today with Media Specialist Lisa Hallman. We had a great time. Art Teacher Scott Kendrick was instrumental in getting me to the school. Scott’s students wrote and illustrated cool alphabet books with photographs, which they are going to give to a daycare down the street. […]
Halfway through a 10 week tour… I’m at Andrew Jackson Middle School today with Media Specialist Connie Horton in Kershaw SC near Lancaster. Last night her principal Butch Dutton picked me up in Charlotte NC and drove me south to an Inn in Lancaster. (Inn in? I’ve always wondered what […]
Speaking of awards. From time to time I also get emails like the one below from Mark Tanner, who I have never met, out of the blue… I was sitting at the airport last night in Salt Lake City feeling a little tired after our drive up to from Elko. […]
I’ve had the good fortune to have many of my novels on state young reader’s choice lists. For me these lists and awards carry more weight than honors chosen by a committee of adults, because the winners are actually picked by the people I’m writing for. Not only this, but […]
Left Nacogdoches early this morning for Central Junior High in Pollok, Texas and the lovely librarian Carol Maples. In the afternoon I was at Hudson Middle School in Lufkin with the kind librarian Kim England. Thank you Carol and Kim for working so hard to get my way early! After […]
I’m at Woden Jr. High today (That’s pronounced Whoa-dun) with librarian Susan Harrison. A small country school with a bit over 100 students. It’s great fun, and a luxury, to speak to small groups like this. The students were enthusiastic, polite, and had great questions. They had an old fashion […]