Just before Christmas I had the chance to travel out to the tri-cities area in the southern part to Washington state to visit a bunch of schools. The landscape was not at all what I imagine when I think of Washington.

Everyone was so warm and welcoming, I really felt at home the whole time I was there. I visited fourteen schools and saw about ten thousand kids. (My apologies if I don’t remember all your names.) Check out some of these crazy aliens they made:

And just in case I run into some writer’s block down the road, the students at Marcus Whitman Elementary made me this amazing book of inspirational starting points, including story ideas about yetis, flying pigs, and kung foo cats. I’ll never run out of ideas again!

A really fun visit to J.D. George Elementary today, where I was blown away by the amazing preparations. These kids were ready for the visit! Just a few of the terrific projects below…

Prairie Bud Award

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.)

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!

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…

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!

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!

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?

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!

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.”

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!

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.

Nice review in School Library Journal of Even Aliens Need Snacks, who calls it “a tasty treat sure to please.” Made my day!

Just got word that Even Monsters Need Haircuts is up for the 2012-2013 Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award. Thanks, Washington!

At Calvin U. Smith Elementary the kids made 256 paintings of cakes (mimicking the elephant in The Lion’s Share) and hung them up all around the library. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Later, we had an evening program at the library and a bunch of teachers put on a Lion’s Share play. They dressed up in costumes and used the cake paintings to help tell the story. It was a great night, and between 200 – 300 parents and kids showed up for the event. What a night!

Even Monsters Need Haircuts has just been named to the 2013 Illinois Monarch Award Master List. Thanks, Illinois!

Just a few of the terrific pirate and monster pictures from today’s visit to Radez Elementary. Fun day!

Check out the sign made by this team of pirates at New Scotland. Made my day.

The past few schools I’ve visited have had some of the most interesting and creative projects I’ve seen in long time. Just check out what these kids did at Willow Field Elementary.

Even sixth graders need haircuts:

A wall of cakes:

And a wall-sized pirate ship. Great work!

Check out these terrific projects from the kids at Castleton Elementary:

A wall of Lion’s Share cake math projects:

Bean Thirteen self-portraits drawn in the style of the author portrait at the back of the book:

And finally, this amazing cake for everyone who showed up for the big event in the evening:

Great projects, great questions, great food. What a terrific day from start to finish. Thanks to everyone at Castleton who made it happen!

Some amazing artwork from the kids at Poestenkill Elementary, spotted during author night last week.

A wall of pirate maps:

Some awesome monsters:

And a real life Uncle Frank’s Pit. Amazing!

At a recent visit to Forts Ferry Elementary School I came upon these amazing before/after monster haircut illustrations. What a great project!

Just found out that Even Monsters Need Haircuts has been nominated for the Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award state list. Thanks, Indiana!

Just back from a great day at the Rochester Children’s Book Festival, where I caught up with some old friends who also happen to be amazing writers. (Pictured, left to right: Dan Mahoney, some hack, Larry Tuxbury, Jeff Mack, Tedd Arnold, and in the front, Andrew Seniawski)

The hairy pirate Backbeard was spotted this past Halloween at Split Rock Elementary school, dressed in his principal Todd Freeman costume. Outstanding job, Backbeard!