Great article in New Britain Herald

What a great day!

Firstly, we visited a fabulous elementary school, called Smith School, in New Britain, Connecticut. The auditorium was a wonderful place to perform in. The walls were amazing – painted with story-book characters – and the stage and seating were perfectly arranged to ensure an intimate feel between audience and performer. I so enjoyed my performance; the 200 plus audience were extremely enthusiastic and attentive and during my scary reading you couldn’t hear a pin drop, as we say in the UK – maybe you say that too in the US?  The Mayor of New Britain, Tim Stuart, appeared equally spellbound in his close-up position in the front row; I’m very grateful to him for giving up his time to come along and join in the fun.

A subsequent book-signing at Smith School almost cleared us out of books and I would like to say a huge thank-you to Paula Eshoo and her staff for making our visit to her wonderful school so special.

Another thank-you to Mayor Tim Stuart for providing us with VIP tickets for the Northern Ireland v Turkey soccer game. Despite temperatures of 97 degrees, we still managed to sit and enjoy the skills of the international players – soccer is my favourite sport back home. That night following the match we had a very scary storm…thunder and lightning and hailstones the size of marbles…true Mokee Joe weather!

We are having a brilliant time in Connecticut and our cousins Judy and Corrine can’t do enough for us. Imagine their delight (and ours), when they handed us the local newspaper, The New Britain Herald, and Mokee Joe was on the front page – and inside a beautifully-written article about our work in schools. This was the ‘icing on the cake’ to a fantastic last few days. We have met so many lovely people…thank you for making our stay so memorable.  Hope Mokee Joe doesn’t give you nightmares!

Molly the Dolly

Kath’s new-found relatives, Corrine and Judy Adolewksi, have welcomed us into their lovely home in Connecticut and are giving us the real VIP treatment.  They had even put a sign on the doorway “MOKEE JOE HOTEL – CHECK OUT, DOOMSDAY!”

Yesterday (Sunday) we met a whole host of relations and it was a wonderful experience for all concerned. We sat around a table filled with mouth-watering ‘goodies’, including hot-dawgs, all types of salads and other local delicacies. I had to go for a jog later in the day to get my weight back down.

Today we visited our first school – Lincoln Elementary- the students reacted in the usual way and went ‘crazy’ with ‘Mokee Joe Fever’. We are returning to the school tomorrow to carry out a book-signing. In the afternoon we met the Mayor of New Brittain, Tim Stuart. He was a real nice man and he is planning to see me in action tomorrow at our second school, Smith Elementary School. The Mayor was good enough to arrange complementary tickets for us in the VIP area to see a soccer match on Wednesday afternoon between Ireland and Turkey.  Ten thousand fans are expected…should be a great experience!

That’s all for now. Best wishes to all our fans.  We love it wherever we go and still have such fond memories of Kuwait, Louisiana and New York…and of course all the lovely schools back home in the UK.

PS  The Mokee Joe Hotel has a resident life-size doll called Molly! I’m certain it moves about during the night…I heard it! It’s sure to give me nightmares!

Round-table Discussion at MS 319

I can’t believe our NY week has come to an end already. I can’t help feeling sad!

We’ve so loved visiting all ten schools during our week’s tour. In my last post on this blog I said I would mention some of the schools again, but in truth…all of our visits have been fantastic and the overwhelming reaction of the students has merged the events into one combined wonderful experience.

Our last day on Friday involved two middle schools – MS 258 and MS 319 and both sets of students were a real delight to meet and chat to. Their enthusiasm for our books once again provided a real drive for me to push on and write more spooky, scary books! At the end of a very busy and fulfilling week, my birthday treat of taking in a Broadway musical provided the perfect ‘medication’ to combat the sad feeling that the NY experience was coming to an end.

Kath and I would like to thank Dr Judy Parker and the Carmel Hill Team for making our week so wonderful, and of course, to all our brilliant fans in all of the schools we’ve visited.  We’ve already been invited back for a longer stay next year, so Kath and I are pleased to say ‘Au Revoir’  and not ‘Goodbye’. And don’t forget the fourth Mokee Joe book…remember that nowhere is safe…Mokee Joe is  set to return…and this time to New York!

Model of MJ by Antonia Flores

I am totally overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the students in the schools visited so far in New York. Some schools have met me for the first time, some for the second time since we visited them a year ago. It doesn’t seem to matter…they love the books all the same and are inspired to produce work of their own. It is the standard of this work that has so amazed me!

I have met writers, poets, model-makers and artists of true talent and creativity! I have copies of  their work and many digital photographs to take back with me to the UK to act as a constant reminder. Thank you so much for all of your enthusiasm and we will treasure our gifts for years to come.

Today I visited two more fantastic schools – PS 154 and PS 197 – both schools gave us a wonderful experience. My wife (Kath) and I were reluctant to leave. I will refer to these schools again in the next post.

And now I must get ready to be collected by taxi…Carmel Hill are dining us out tonight. I think I will give the pitza a miss; I’ve had so much this week already!

'Exploding TV' winners at PS 8

Today is my birthday (21 again!) and no better way to spend it than with my fans in New York City.

Since the last post on my Blog, Kath and I have visited schools MS 328, PS 8, PS 192 and PS 72.

At MS 328 there was a really funny moment. I had the students all on the edge of their seat describing a very spooky scene from my new book, Scabbajack. Suddenly the door to the library opened and a lady walked in almost giving my listeners a heart-attack. It was good to see familiar faces at MS 328 from my last year’s visit and thank you to them all for continuing to read my books.

PS 8 provided a big audience of VERY enthusiastic fans. Most of them had already read my books and it seems they just can’t get enough of the scary stuff! Some of the students had used their own creative talents to write excellent essays and poems associated with the Mokee Joe books. Some had made excellent models, including a wonderful ‘exploding TV set’,  a sinister blue Mokee Joe hand and other fascinating replicas of objects from the books. At the end of my presentation I read out aloud a poem by a young lady called Leslie Ann Martin…it was a poem of pure genious!  All in all, PS8 provided an unforgettable experience and I thank them for it.

Today, my birthday, we were met by a Carmel Hill member of staff called Fanon. We got on really well with him. Would you believe he has a one-year-old boy called Hudson…the same name as the hero in the Mokee Joe books…spooky!  Fanon took us to PS 192 and we entertained a smaller audience of around 70 students. Nevertheless, they were very enthusiastic and attentive and a real pleasure to meet up with. I was so amused that many of them had read Moonwailer and had then drawn their own version of  the scene where Billy finds a dead rabbit hanging from a fence. Dead rabbits hanging from fences seemed a real source of fascination for PS 192. Thank you, Mr Todd, and the other teachers for all of your help. We love your school! And good luck to Mr Garcia with his own writings – I guess I inspired him too!

This afternoon I went over to PS 72 and I can only describe my arrival to that of a rockstar (ageing rockstar!). Never have I heard such loud cheering and sceams of delight as I walked through the playground on my way to the auditorium! The presentation was ‘electric’, especially when volunteers came out to take part in the action on the stage – all first-rate performers! The audience was superb and it was quite an emotional experience for me to see so much work and creativity produced as a result of reading my books. Some of the pupils had got together to make a huge model of Mokee Joe. Others had drawn pictures of Guardian Angel, some had written their own spooky essays and poems, and one girl had made the most amazing small model of  Mokee Joe.

Thank you to all of the schools for making our week in NY so ‘special’. Kath and I are truly moved by the response of the pupils and staff to the books. By the way…I get my birthday present two days late on Friday…Kath is taking me out to a Broadway musical. It’s time I sat back and watched someone else do all the work on stage!

Keen fans at PS 175

For those back home, PS 175 and PS 4 are the numbers of two great schools in New York. We visited these schools last year and had an amazing time.  We returned today to a great reception from our many fans.

The first school, PS 175, was the Henry Highland Garnet Elementary. We met some ‘serious’ fans in the library and had a round-table discussion for over an hour. They loved talking about the books, especially the new book, Scabbajack. They also enjoyed discussing their nightmares and were full of ideas for other spooky stories. It was a real pleasure to meet them again and Kath and I hope they will keep in touch with us until our next visit.

The second school, PS 4, was the Duke Ellington Elementary, and again we met a bunch of real enthusiasts in the library. Before we discussed my books, we all indulged in pitza and soft drinks over lunchtime (mmmm…delicious!).

And then it was time for serious discussion. As in PS 175, the students had read all the books and were very excited about Scabbajack. It seems that this book ‘freaks them out’ more than the others!  It was a real pleasure to present some awards to these guys – they had taken part in a book-review competition and three winners came forward to collect their prizes, kindly donated by Carmel Hill. Mr Tommy and I were so proud of them!

Both schools got VERY excited when I announced I am writing a fourth Mokee Joe book, and Hudson’s new ‘super-enemy’ is going to be based right here in New York. How amazing is that!

A big ‘thank-you’ to all teachers and students at PS 175 and PS 4 for giving us such a warm welcome during our return visit. Please keep in touch with us through the website and we look forward to your comments on this Blog.

New York, New York!

After a relatively smooth journey from Monroe, Louisiana to Houston, Texas and onto New York, we are now safely tucked up in our hotel, the Park Central on 7th Avenue. Times Square is minutes in one direction and Central Park even closer in the other. We stayed here in May last year and we love it!

Today is Sunday and the weather couldn’t be better – cool (70′s) and very sunny. We’ve been up to Central Park already and enjoyed watching the softball matches. I even took my running shoes and joined in with the hundred of joggers looping around the park…great fun!

Our hostess for NY, Dr Judy Parker, took us out for a wonderful meal last night and informed us that our school audiences for the week ahead are ‘buzzing’  about my visit. Many of them have already read the new book, ‘Scabbajack’, and thankfully, they love it! Phew…what a relief!  The book isn’t even out yet in the UK, but I’m told that fans back home are pre-ordering signed copies on the website, so that’s OK. I’m also told that one of the NY schools has built a huge model of Mokee Joe. I can’t wait to see it and hope to have photographs to paste on the Blog asap.

It’s my birthday whilst I’m here in NY, May 19th, and my wife, Kath, is treating me to a Broadway Musical at the end of the week. We’ve heard rave reviews about Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Lansbury in ‘A Little Light Music’ so we’ve booked to see that. It was either that or the Jersey Boys..but they will have to wait until another time.

That’s about all for now, folks. Keep in touch and watch this space for news of our New York week ahead.

Huckleberry Pete, Louisiana-style

Our final day in Monroe, Louisiana, found us in front of older students at Lee Junior High and Neville High.

Did we need to worry? No way! Our audiences were more than receptive to the ‘crazy’ author from the UK! At the end of the presentations the students crowded round to ask questions and have their well-read books signed. Keen fans at Lee Junior High had entered art and writing competitions centred around the Mokee Joe books and I had one heck of a job choosing the winners – the standard in all cases was extremely high. The winning potrait of Guardian Angel completely matched my own mental image, and the winning essay was nothing short of superb…and what a title…’Mokee Joe Up Close and  Personal’. Winners were announced and prize-pitzas duly consumed. Phew! Another fantastic experience!

After all the excitement, our ‘hostess with the mostess’ decided to take me on a fishing trip to the bayou. I think most of my fans know about my passion for fishing and so it will come as no surprise to know that I quickly adapted to the Louisiana style of angling and caught a monster of a fish!

Oh well…it’s time to call it a day and re-pack yet again. Tomorrow we leave for the Big Apple. No fishing there – but thousands more fans to hook onto my scary, spooky books.

A huge ‘thank you’ to everyone in Monroe for making our first Louisiana experience so special. And guess what? We’ve already been booked to return next year. I shall bring more spooky writings…and of course…my own personal fishing rod! See y’all!

Hi y’all….Pete here again from Monroe, Louisiana, having a whale of a time. Yesterday we visited Sallie Humble and Clark Schools and once again we were overawed by the enthusiasm of the students for the Mokee Joe books. Those guys knew the books inside out and in far more detail than me…how amazing is that!

Our good host, Margie Godwin, took us out for lunch at the re-knowned eating place, ‘The Warehouse’, along with a whole bunch of fantastic interns working for the Carmel Hill Fund. Kath and I let ourselves go and sampled the real cooking of Louisiana; I indulged in a Rib-eye Po-Boy and Kath sampled the local crabcakes – both choices absolutely delicious! But the specially prepared Cup Cakes stole the show…they were simply ‘to die for’! The lunch was a great experience and everyone got on well together. It was a real pleasure for Kath and I to meet so many lovely young people.

We have pics to follow later, but in the meantime watch this space…Lousiana just gets better and better!  Take care and see y’all later.

Hi to all our fans, and to all those in Kuwait…missing you already!

Our host and friend, Margie, has already ensured a fantastic welcome to Monroe, Louisiana.  It’s the first time we’ve been here and it’s a wonderful place…warm, a little humid and very green!

The first few schools have already been visited and we’ve been overwhelmed by how well the students know the Mokee Joe books - even better than I do! We have met students and staff from Lexington, Jefferson and Minnie Ruffin Elementary schools and our reception could not have been better.  I was so impressed with the knowledge and ability of the pupils and the staff treated us like old friends - what a start to our US tour!

Kath and I are now back in our lovely hotel and resting to get rid of the jet-lag. Due to the dreaded volcanic ash cloud our flight yesterday was extended by three and a half-hours and we spent a long, long time in the air. But worth every minute, we’re sure.  Louisiana is gonna be one awesome place!