Last month, author April Henry set out on a week-long tour for the paperback release of her YA mystery novel The Lonely Dead (Square Fish, Jan. 21). Over the course of her travels, April met more than 2,000 kids in four states: Connecticut, Illinois, Colorado, and Texas. One of the stops, McCormick Middle School in Buda, Tex., put together an escape room based on Henry’s 2016 novel, The Girl I Used to Be (Holt/Ottaviano). We’ve gathered a selection of photo highlights from the events.
April Henry speaks with McCormick Middle School students in Buda, Tex., about her writing and research process.
Kids at McCormick participated in an escape room based on The Girl I Used to Be, which was devised by librarian Barbara Holland (far l.).
In the escape room, participants put together a cigar box filled with items modeled after the ones the novel’s protagonist finds, which belonged to her dead mother.
Henry meets R2-D2 at BrazCon (Brazoria County) Teen Comic Convention at Manvel High School in Manvel, Tex., on February 15.
The author is greeted by library assistant Jessica Taylor at Cypress Creek High School in Houston, where she visited with more than 100 kids in grades nine through 12. The event was arranged by Blue Willow Bookshop.
Admiring the Cypress Creek mascot.
The author connects with middle grade students at Mesa Middle School in Denver, during an event with Tattered Cover.
Henry with fan Cassidy B. at St. Francis Xavier School in Chicago, following a luncheon presentation organized by the Book Stall.
Students from grades six through eight at St. Francis Xavier.
