Today I visited my former elementary school, Whitehall Elementary in Monroe Township. I talked with three different groups of kids about what it's like to be an author. I also shared a story with them that I wrote when I was in fifth grade at that school. The story is "Alicia's Alarm," and it is based on true events surrounding my younger sister's back surgeries. When I was in elementary school, it was published by Guideposts for Kids magazine, a photographer was sent to my house to take pictures of my sister, and I was paid $100 for the story--I was the richest kid on the block! I was impressed with the Whitehall students' attention spans; they were great audiences! More than that, though, I enjoyed the funny questions and comments. Some of my favorite interactions are listed below: After explaining the reasons for my sister's back operations in simple terms (she had spondylolisthesis ), I assured the students that my sister is alright now, with min
