The British School of Chicago

Two days prior to Thanksgiving I had the privilege of meeting staff and students at the British School of Chicago. I felt right at home there! All of the teachers there are British, and a number of the students are either British with accents or had British parents.

I met about 125 students split into three groups. I read excerpts of the book and brought the story to life by using different English accents. We had such fun with it!! The students seemed to love the story, and asked all sort of interesting and probing questions afterwards. I was impressed by their intelligence, and their thirst for information.

Many of the children told me they had visited London, and had been to either Buckingham Palace , the Tower of London, or both. They really got to grips with the story, which had meaning for them because they were familiar with the subject matter.

After the reading and questions, we had time to discuss my publishing experience, as well as writing tips. The children were amazed that the publishing process can be such a long and drawn-out process. I highlighted to them that the idea for the story came when they were just babies, and that finally the story was accepted, and then published 6 or 7 years later. They came to understand that all writers need patience, and that a good story is worth writing and deserves perseverance.

Thank you to Mr. Henry Bray - Head of Literacy at the British School of Chicago - for giving me the opportunity. It was a pleasure to meet the students and staff, and to bring Fred & Fiona Flea to life for everyone.