Just received word that Even Monsters Need Haircuts has won the Prairie Bud, the 2012-2013 South Dakota Children’s Book Award. Thanks, South Dakota!
(More info here.)
Continue reading →Over the last two weeks I’ve had some terrific visits to Coxsackie Elementary, Penn Yan Elementary, Ginther Elementary and Rensselaer Park. Each one was special in its own way, and I wish I had time to give a full report. My thanks to everyone at those schools who worked so hard to make the visits a success. Here are just two highlights:
At Penn Yan Elementary they built a giant Backbeard puzzle, then added pieces to it every day, gradually revealing the secret of who was coming to visit.
And at Rensselaer Park Elementary students each created bookmarks. All the bookmarks were then assembled into a giant bookmark collage. (Click the picture below to get the full effect.)
At each school I discovered incredible projects and amazing artwork. What a welcome!
Continue reading →Monday I visited Lake Avenue Elementary in Saratoga, NY. It was a great visit, and one of the highlights for me was the fact that they still had their old card catalog. Even better, a bunch of my older books were still in it!
Finding my card in the drawer is an experience I haven’t had in a long time…
Continue reading →This Friday I visited Miller Hill Sand Lake Elementary in Averill Park, NY and enjoyed managed to choke down one of the most disgusting lunches I’ve ever eaten. The fifth grade had a contest to design food that aliens might enjoy, and some of them went so far as to actually cook their creations.
There were black egg-like things, dripping eyeballs, green brain matter, and stuff no one could quite identify. I sampled (nearly) everything, and forty-eight hours later my stomach hasn’t sprouted any strange, alien creatures. I take that as a good sign.
Thanks to everyone at MHSL for the fun vista and the delicious disgusting lunch. I hope we can do it again sometime!
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I’m thrilled to announce that The Lion’s Share has been nominated for this year’s Patricia Gallagher Picture Book Award given by the Oregon Reading Association. The award is named for Patricia Gallagher, a retired Western Oregon professor of children’s literature who is a former president of ORA.
Thanks, Oregon!
Continue reading →Check it out – a real life Benjamin Franklinstein Scott Weaver potato battery spotted at Hardy Oak Elementary in San Antonio!
Also, a real Cousin Ernie-style bandolier belt with tools, batteries, and Tootsie Rolls:
And Angela Wilbrant’s science fair project, Are Dog’s From Mars?
Continue reading →Such a nice welcome at Tuscany Heights Elementary today: a wall of “McElligott’s Creatures” featuring all manner of aliens and monsters inspired by my books. Made my day!
Continue reading →Today, after presenting to a group of kindergartners, I was handed this note: “I have seen the video of you. It was a little gross and a little fun. I liked when you turned green.”
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Just finished a really fun day/evening visit to A.W. Becker Elementary in Selkirk, NY, where the kids and teachers went all out. The big theme of the day was the magnum opus the boy cooks in Even Aliens Need Snacks, a dish he calls “galactic pudding.”
When I drew the picture for the book, I never imagined anyone would ever try to recreate it for an author brunch, but that’s exactly the challenge that Ms. Westerfeld from the school cafeteria took on. You can see the original and her interpretation below.
In addition, there were alien/monster cupcakes and galactic pudding (with grape eyeballs) for everyone who ordered a school lunch that day. All this was inspired by some terrific artwork by the kids. My thanks to Ms. Mulligan, Ms. Westervelt, Ms. Defeo, and the PTA for all their work pulling it all together!
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Love this poster from Pine Road Elementary near Philadelphia, where I spent two fun days this week. I also had a chance to finally visit a bunch of real locations from the Benjamin Franklinstein books. You can read all about that here.
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