There are only three schools I've visited after the release of each of my three books. And I've always visited them in the same week because they're located very close to each other in Florida: Charlotte High School, Lemon Bay High School, and Port Charlotte High School.
The first time I visited, they'd displayed one of the American Library Association READ posters of me reading The Monster at the End of This Book, and took a photo of me pointing to that poster. The next year, we took a photo of me pointing at the photo of me pointing to that poster. This year, we took a photo of me pointing at the photo of me pointing at the photo of me pointing to that poster.
These schools always go all out, both in making me feel welcome, and getting the students excited.
Here was a backdrop for one of my signings:
At another school, I signed under a tent similar to the Bigtop in What Light. The students who helped me wore nametags labeled Sierra and Heather. It wasn't until the end of the day that I realized those weren't their real names. (I assumed they were chosen specifically because their names matched those of my main character and her friend. Nope! Just a cute addition.)
These cookies were delicious. And check out the Easter mug! It's exactly how I envisioned the one Sierra uses, though hers obviously didn't include her words, "I've been raised to believe that everyone can become better."
For an assignment, a student illustrated each of the reasons from Thirteen Reasons Why...
...and several scenes from The Future of Us.
One class shared with me highly annotated copies of several pages from Thirteen Reasons Why.
And have you ever eaten a tie-dye cake? Because I have!
It was also great timing for my third visit to the area, because it coincided with the release of artwork for Netflix's upcoming adaptation of 13 Reasons Why!
I was having lunch with several students when the first video teaser went live.
If you haven't seen it already, here it is: