I’m writing from the Waldorf, which has been my home away from home while in England. Tomorrow I head back to Texas (for one day) after a week of school visits.
The World Book Day events went very well. The Sword of Hades was published as part of a one-pound book that children could buy for tokens, the idea being to promote reading and get more books into the hands of young readers. I signed quite a few copies!
Tuesday I did an event in London, followed by one in Ipswich. The kids were all great, but special thanks to Kerry, a big fan in Ipswich, who greeted me as I got to the school and had great questions. She even won a t-shirt during the Greek myth quiz, which I was glad to see.
Wednesday I spent the day in Norwich. It’s an interesting city in Norfolk with a river, castle, and beautiful cathedral. Both school groups were great, and again I signed tons of Sword of Hades and the other Percy titles.
Yesterday we took the train to Oxford for two more visits, both of which were fantastic. Oxford is just a beautiful place. At each school, students dressed up as Greek myth characters and I had to choose the winner (tough job!) to get a fifty pound prize of Puffin books. The winning costumes were Chiron and Icarus, though there were several Medusas and Aphrodites who had amazing costumes as well.
Today we had an event at a girls’ school in Bournemouth, and I think it’s safe to say that Logan Lerman was a popular choice to play Percy Jackson in the movie. As the British might put it, the girls were quite chuffed when they heard the news and saw his picture.
Next week, I’m off to Champaign, Illinois. More on that later.
In the meantime, 39 Clues: The Sword Thief was published this week, and exciting news was announced for that series. If you haven’t heard, Linda Sue Park and Margaret Peterson Haddix have joined the 39 Clues team of authors. Read the article for the full scoop!
