Rough Start in Germany

Morton Rhue being force fed cheesecake and cherry pie by sinister journalists yesterday near Frankfurt. Today was also trying was Mr. Rhue discovered that the talk he'd prepared for schools in Germany was, er, not well-received by the first school. Later Mr. Rhue said he knew he was in trouble when even he found the speech boring as he gave it. Thus he learned that no matter how often you practice your speech alone before you give it, you never really know how it will go until you are before the audience. What followed were several panicked hours of rewrites before the afternoon school visit, in which most of the original speech was thrown out and revised. Luckily the afternoon session went better, after which Mr. Rhue vanished into a beer garden and has not been seen since.

Morton Rhue Visits Germany to Promote Über Uns Stille

Well, I'm back in Germany being Morton Rhue again. It's always a bit of a surprise. Today I found myself touring a reconstructed old German village with a guide, 4 journalists, a publicist, and two book sellers. The tour provides a backdrop for the photos that accompany the media stories. We even rode around for a while in a horse-drawn carriage.  This never happens in the US (tours, multiple journalists, horse rides), and I almost forgot to sign copies of Über Uns Stille (The Stillness Above) with Morton's name and not my own. Also, I have to get used once again to answering when people say Morton and not Todd. I also have to get used to eating a lot because there are lots of promotion/meals, plus every time you sit down with a journalist there seems to be cake and coffee. Some of the faces are familiar. I have travelled many times before with Johanna, the publicist from Ravensburger and she is great. And the Bollingers, who own bookshops around Frankfurt, are always lovely.

Vacation in Ditch Plains

Rainy chilly morning. Going out to surf. Todd (in wetsuit) with Lia under the indoor swing

Still raining after lunch. Monopoly, red wine, chocolate truffles

Finally the sun starts to come out. By the lifeguard stand

Late afternoon.

Another Rewarding No-Fee Skype

Dear Todd,

Your Skype session with my students was a huge success.  Please know that developmental high school students can be tricky to reach for a variety of reasons.  However, they heard your advice on writing and on spelling, and they loved your sense of humor.

Thank you,

Joan Flora

Another Fun No-Fee Skype With a Class

I just wanted to give a big thank you for skyping with our class in Brick, NJ, last week.  The students were excited about skyping with you, and they enjoyed every minute of it.  There were some other language arts teachers in the room and the principal, and they were all very impressed.  In the students’ end of the year reading survey, many of the listed you as a favorite author and named your books as ones they have read multiple times.  This shows a huge shift from their beginning of the year survey.  Thank you for helping our students down the road to becoming lifelong readers.  I hope we can do this again next year.  Have a great day.

Feedback From Another No-Fee Skype

Thank you so much for Skyping with us this morning. The students truly enjoyed the experience! I will certainly be in touch with you again, as I plan to read Give a Boy a Gun next year with my 8th grade honors students.
It was an absolute pleasure!
Mrs. Amanda Steele
English Department

What Give A Boy A Gun means to one young man

  Hi my name is Alex …. and in the beginning of the year I had picked up your book Give A Boy A Gun. As I read your book tears filled my eyes. I think everyone's had that one little experience being bullied. Last year I got picked on a lot because of my size, having glasses, and braces. But not everyone's experience was as tough as the characters in your book... I hope you realize this book has effected many people, in various ways. But mostly it has helped me. It has helped me realize that peoples situations are much worse than mine, and I can get through things. Last year I also got diagnosed with children's arthritis, and was constantly made fun of because of that. I constantly cried, and thought my life was the worst. But then, I read your book. Give A Boy A Gun has inspired me, entertained me, made me cry…. Most of all thank you for writing, inspiring, and helping people by writing Give A Boy A Gun.