New York Times bestselling author April Henry captivated students during a recent visit to Perry County Middle School as she discussed her books and her research methods for writing the young adult mystery/thriller novels that are the top checked-out titles in the school library.
This visit was made possible through a partnership with the school libraries of the Perry County, Windsor, Dunklin, and Northwest school districts.
Ms. Henry is the author of many acclaimed mysteries for adults and over 15 novels for teens, including the bestselling “Girl, Stolen”; “Girl Forgotten,” which was an Edgar Award winner, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and a Tome Student Literacy Society It List Selection; “Two Truths and a Lie,” which was a YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers; and “The Girl I Used to Be,” which was nominated for an Edgar Award and won the Anthony Award for Best YA Mystery. According to librarian Heather Baskin, the students had been looking forward to Ms. Henry’s visit. “We really built up to the day,” she said.
“Students love her books, and they were really engaged with her as she discussed her writing process. In fact, our April Henry bookshelf was totally empty the week of her visit.”
The author told the students about writing to British author Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, among others, when she was a child, and included her own short story about Herman, a 6-foottall frog who liked peanut butter that was eventually published in the Puffin Post. Ms. Henry picked up her pen again as an adult, and after many rejections over eight years, she became “an overnight success” with her fourth novel, “Circles of Confusion.”
“So now I tell others, only you can say that you can’t be a writer… by giving up on yourself.” She encouraged aspiring writers to read as much as possible and to write every day.
“Readers become writers,” she said.
Students had the opportunity to read books and pass AR tests to have their names added to drawings for serving on the April Henry Welcome Committee, receive special seating at the assembly, and participate in a book signing.
