Thank you, Nova Scotia Schools!

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Catherine Austen

I was charmed by the students of Pictou Landing First Nation School, who made this wall display of dumb jokes and zombie survival tips taken from my website - awesome! — I was charmed by the students of Pictou Landing First Nation School, who made this wall display of dumb jokes and zombie survival tips taken from my website – awesome!

As I begin the last day of my tour of schools, libraries and bookstores in Nova Scotia, I want to say thank you to all the students I’ve met along the way.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for laughing. Thanks for asking great questions. Thanks for saying I look younger than my photographs.

Thanks for the opportunity to speak in a devil voice (while reading a scene from 28 Tricks for a Fearless Grade 6). And for the opportunity to share everything I’ve learned about writing books.

I had great fun with the students of Sacred Heart School in Halifax who were reading 28 Tricks in class.

Thanks for telling me your stories. Thanks for adding to my collection of dumb jokes. Thanks for reassuring me that the country has a fresh crop of writers growing up right now.

A huge thank you to all the teachers, principals, and librarians who helped prepare their students for my visit. It was wonderful to go to a school and hear, “Are you the author?” as I passed through the halls and, “Oh, this is a good scene,” as I began to read. Thanks for introducing my books to your classes. Thanks for taking me to lunch. Thanks for welcoming me to your neighbourhoods and giving me directions onward.

And for all the kids who asked if they could write me with more questions or animal stories, I’d love to hear from you. Write me at <info@catherineausten.com>.

Thanks for the cards and pens and book bags! — Thanks for the cards and pens and book bags, too!

And of course a big thank-you to everyone at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre for arranging this tour, one of many taking place across the country right now during TD Canadian Children’s Book Week 2014.

This has been a great week. (And it’s not over. I’m on my way to Digby County this morning and then over to Greenwood before I head back to Halifax. Gotta go…)