School Visits Rock!

My favorite parts of being a YA author are getting to work in my pajamas, receiving email from readers, hanging out with cool authors, and visiting schools.

Today I got to visit Grantsville Middle School in Utah, along with 5 other authors, an illustrator, and a photo journalist. Right when I walked through the doors, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lovely young lady holding a "Wendy Toliver" sign like chaffeur drivers do at airports. Kyra took me around the whole day, letting me know what to expect and keeping me from getting lost. First up was a delicious dutch oven lunch in the library, followed by an assembly in the cafeteria where the talented Jessica Day George (of Dragon Slippers fame) had the students in stitches when she explained that her 8th grade teacher told her she was such a great writer she could just quit school. Which didn't go over too well with Jessica's mom, needless to say.

Next I was taken to a classroom where I gave a talk to two separate groups of students. They asked some great questions and I hope they learned something from me, or at least were somewhat entertained by my sleep-deprived presentations. I had a personal first when one of the guys offered to be my agent. Finally, we had a book signing in the gym. In addition to books, I signed countless bookmarks, pieces of paper, foreheads, and hands. It was a wonderful day and I'm thrilled to have been a part of it.