His name is Toast

I did school visits almost every day last week, and they were all much, much fun. But my favorite visit had to be Jefferson Elementary in Redford, Michigan. I got to present to the whole school (in two groups), and have lunch with some awesome kid writers. The best moment, though, was when I started my "Let's Make a Story" bit with the 3rd-5th graders.

The point behind making a story with a whole crowd is to show even when you don't think you have a single idea, if you just think of SOMETHING, the ideas will follow. If you invent a person, questions about that person just naturally arise. And it's your job to write until you find the answers.

So I said, "Let's invent a person. What's this person's name?" And the kid in the front on whom I called responded, "His name is Toast."

Toast. Toast?! That may be the best name for a chapter book character ever. And, oh, the questions! Is that his real name or a nickname? And how did he get it? And, and, and...

I challenged the kids at Jefferson to write me the story of a boy named Toast. But really, I want Toast (and toast) all for myself.

My new favorite media center

Today, in honor of the Ann Arbor Book Festival's Authors in Schools program, I got to visit the fabulous first graders at Bryant Elementary School. I talked about how long it took me to write and revise The New Girl...And Me. I also signed books, including one for someone named Mia (who is not the Mia in the book, and whom I was very sad I didn't get to meet in person to see if she looked anything like Book Mia). In exchange, I got my brand new Bryant Elementary School t-shirt (when my camera is fixed, I'll post a picture) and 120 thank you notes. After the visit, I really wanted to to hide among the first graders browsing and choosing books in my new favorite media center, but I am simply too tall.