I did a school visit yesterday in NJ. The kids were great. Here's the problem: All the kids wanted my signature! The kids who got to come up and meet me were the ones who had bought my book... or rather their parents bought my book. Is that fair? Not really. One girl was CRYING. Man that made me feel SO bad! But if I gave her my signature I would have started a riot! She did end up getting it so the crisis was averted. But a really cute little boy had a note book full of sketches with a drawing of my alien in it and asked for my signature and I told him to ask his teacher and he never came back. I really wanted to be able to do it! But I'd get swarmed. They all would have wanted it!
Here's what I should do: Print out a little card with an alien on it and sign each of them and give them to everyone. That's the fairest way. The only problem is that if there are THOUSANDS of kids in the school then I don't know if it's possible. It makes me sad.
Here are some of the horse creations:
5 comments:
I guess this is why some authors give out book marks!~ sounds like the kids loved your visit!
~laura
I usually try to give out bookmarks, but sometimes when I'm touring and visiting lots of schools and thousands of kids, I leave a bookmark page (5 bookmarks/page, each signed) that can be copied on cardboard stock. I also have bookmarks that can be downloaded from my website. I know it isn't perfect, but when you are dealing with so many children, what can you do!
And hey, isn't it nice to have so many admirers!
Hey, Meghan I do the bookmark thing, too--I get 8,000 printed at once so it doesn't really cost that much and I give them out (http://outergrace.blogspot.com/2009/02/if-these-were-dollar-bills.html). Sometimes if it's too many kids I do a drawing on a sheet of paper and the teacher xeroxs it for everyone. You could still do that now, send a drawing to the librarian and she could xerox it for the students. Something to think about!
I tell kids that I only sign my books and my drawings, then do a drawing of a character with each group using their ideas, put their name on it (e.g. by the 3rd graders), then sign my name + the year. I tell them they'll get a copy and to color in any way they like so they'll all turn out differently. Once in a blue moon a kid will notice it's not a "real" signature, but not often.
I think it's fascinating that they make the eyes and even the shapes of the face the way you do.....in Anna's thank yous, too, the kids really do a great job of copying her style.
There's a lot of talk about how reading and verbal skills have declined -- is there anything about how much more visually sophisticated kids are now? ARE they?
These images make me think they are, what do you think?
libby
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