This past Thursday I visited Elmcrest Elementary School in Liverpool, NY, my second school visit this fall.

The students and teachers at Elmcrest really, and I mean really, got into the visit. Not only had they read all the books, but they came up with some really great projects to do around them. Mr. Root’s first grade class (pictured above) drew pictures of things they loved and hated, playing at being both optomists and pessimists. Other projects included a diorama of Uncle Frank’s pit (complete with real dirt and a hot tub), a board game (with rules and playing pieces) where you get to explore uncle Frank’s underground apartment, and all varieties of books and stories.

Some of my favorite stories from the bunch were the ones that combined characters from a bunch of my books to create new stories. Uncle Frank meets Squeak and Squeakes introduces Uncle Frank to a pair of blue cheese-loving mice, and The Bugs in Uncle Frank’s Pit imagines what would happen if Gloria and Frieda met up with Cousin Ernie, Uncle Frank, and the rest of the family.

To cap everything off, I got to end the day by doing a live broadcast on Elmcrest’s own Eagle Eye News. This is a student-run television program that is broadcast weekly throughout the entire school. My host was a sixth grade student with the funniest Uncle Frank costume I’ve ever seen. Throughout the entire interview, he stayed in the character of Uncle Frank and did an amazing job. I was interviewed by a representative from each grade, and everyone did a great job asking their questions and putting me at ease. It was a great way to wrap things up.

My thanks go out to Mr. Cappelli, the Parent Teacher Organization, and all the teachers, students and volunteers who made my visit so much fun.