New York Times bestselling author April Henry enthralled students today when she spoke about her books and her research method. Ms. Henry visited Perry County Middle School, where her Young Adult mystery/thriller novels are the most checked-out books in the school library.
This visit was made possible through a partnership with school libraries at 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.
Librarian Heather Baskin said that students had anticipated 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 book shelf was totally empty the week of her visit!”
Ms. Henry captured the students’ attention by describing how she researches. “If I’m going to write about something, I need to make sure I know what I’m talking about,” she said. “One of my characters was going to have to run through the woods in handcuffs. So I went to a park and ran through the woods in handcuffs. When I wrote Girl, Stolen, I needed to learn what it would be like for a person who is blind to survive a kidnapping. I visited a school for seeing-eye dogs and learned how to work with the dog while blindfolded. I have gone to the Writer’s Police Academy to learn about forensics and crime scene investigation.”
The author told the students about writing to British author Roald Dahl (Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Matilda) as a child and including her own short story about Herman, a 6-foot tall frog who liked peanut butter. Dahl shared the story with his editor, and it was eventually published in the Puffin Post. “I wanted to be a writer, and wrote all the time as a child,” Ms. Henry said. “But I didn’t meet a writer until I was 29 years old and didn’t think anyone like me could be a writer. So I had given up writing.”
Ms. Henry picked up her pen again as an adult, and after many rejections over 8 years 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, to have special seating at the assembly, and to participate in a book signing. The Welcome Committee included Jayla Pryor, Grace Endicott, Delilah Adams, Addie Kirn, Calie Cattoor, and Solara Syfert. Students selected for up-front seating included Jayla Pryor, Delilah Adams, Calie Cattoor, Addie Kirn, Hannah Boland, Charlie Baxter, Wyatt Jones, Nora Cowell, Teagan Versemann, Solara Syfert, Grace Endicott, and Delica Welker.
Students selected for the book signing included Jayla Pryor, Grace Endicott, Ashlynne Pingel, Charlee Baxter, Hannah Boland, Ryder Goodman, Braelyn Lankford, Delilah Adams, Saylor Blechle, Elaina Taylor, Kennely Heim, Jaxon Buerck, Calie Cattoor, Wyatt Jones, James Hardesty, Shelby Turbeyville, Nora Cowell, Teagan Versemann, Abigail Gage, Alynna Bell, Brooklyn Zahner, Dalston Miller, Delica Welker, Terry Brooks, Solara Syfert, Alyssa Barnett, Kaeli Klaus, Ben Lee, Kaydence Hood, Maggie Britt, Ashton Stanfill, Steve Reed, Hayden Warren, Jasmine Welsh, Addie Kirn, and Autumn Taylor.
PCMS seventh-grader Saylor Blechle is excited to have her book signed by author April Henry.
Author April Henry speaks to students in Grades 6-8 about how she became a writer, the research she does for her books, and her writing process.
Students chosen to serve on the April Henry Welcome Committee are (from left) Addelynne Kirn, Calie Cattoor, Delilah Adams, Grace Endicott, Jayla Pryor, and Solara Syfert.
Author April Henry (second from right) posed for a snapshot with PCMS staff and fans Stephanie Bohnert, Librarian Heather Baskin, Henry, Carrie Buchheit.