Thursday, November 06, 2014

Reflections from the Road: Oak Mountain Middle School

Yesterday, I spoke to 400 kids at Oak Mountain Middle School in Birmingham, Alabama.

The kids were divided into two groups, with a fun activity session in between.

First, I spoke to 200 first in the gymnasium. Kids sat on the floor and I had a wireless microphone, which is my favorite set up because it lets me walk out into the audience and ask questions. (where I was impressed with what the OMMS students knew about historical Viking helmets.)

Next, they put me in the library, and children who purchased Frostborn were allowed to take their lunches into the library and talk with me while they ate. We did two 20-minutes "lunch with Lou" sessions. I didn't realize how short their lunch period is, so only the second session really got to play, Thrones & Bones. But we played four quick games then, and that was a blast.

Then, after I got my own lunch, I went back to the gymnasium for another presentation to 200 kids.

Highlights of the visit included talking with one particularly enthusiastic fan (Hi "H"), being asked to sign a book with the rather odd "To 'Dad'" for someone's father to daughter Christmas present, and meeting "the Asian Viking." I queried this and the boy explained, "My dad is from Norway and my mother was born in Singapore." So there you go.

A big thanks to Library Media Specialists Whitney Howton and Kim Piper, for making this such a wonderful visit.

Thanks also to Little Professor Book Center for facilitating preorder sales.

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