I had a busy week in Minneapolis, April 16-19, while I was there to promote my new memoir SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL. That book, for adults, was celebrated at a program at East Side Neighborhood Services in Northeast Minneapolis, where I grew up, on Thursday evening, April 18th. (Report in a coming post.) Meanwhile, I did a number of author visits to schools, including one of the schools I had attended as a child.
My first visit was at St. John Paul II Catholic School, in Northeast Minneapolis, where I spoke to all the students, kindergarten through eighth grade in four sessions. I thank Principal Tricia Menzhuber for coordinating and promoting my visit and for buying a copy of one of my books for each classroom. It was a pleasure to visit the school that many of my neighborhood friends attended when I was growing up. (I went to a nearby public school, Holland Elementary, now closed.)
On Wednesday I was at East Side Neighborhood Services where I spoke to children in the preschool and shared with them my new books and the story of the Hodag—the mascot of the ESNS camp, Camp Bovey. Many years ago I was a child at the ESNS nursery school, then in a different building down the street. I also spoke to a group of high school students at the Menlo High School, an alternative school at ESNS. I shared with them some of my background and the process of writing. I thank their teacher Cat Bonaventura for organizing the visit and for coming to my book signing Thursday evening with one of the students.
At Waite Park Elementary School
Thursday morning was a visit to two groups of enthusiastic kindergarten and first grade students at Waite Park School, another public school in Northeast Minneapolis. I thank librarian Erin Redlin for organizing the visit and for the great photos.
Stage in the Windom School Library, with Author Chair
And on my final day in Minneapolis I visited Windom Elementary, the school that I attended in 5th and 6th grade after my family moved from Northeast to South Minneapolis. Much of the school building is the same, but the library now is much bigger and is in what used to the gym. (Now there is a new gym added on to the school—taking up part of what used to be the playground where we went for recess.) I thank librarian Carey Cappuccio for organizing the visit and the tour of the school. It brought back many memories! I spoke to two groups of students, first K-1, and then 2-5. Before I left I signed the author chair, adding my signature to other authors that have visited the school.
