Author Alison Madden at The International School of Indiana

I had a wonderful morning with two classes at the International School Of Indiana, in Indianapolis, on April 17. The second grade students had been studying international cities, and were familiar with London. It was very fitting for me to read excerpts from Fred & Fiona Flea: The Crown Jewels Caper to the students - an adventure set in London.

Upon arrival, I saw the classroom was covered with photographs of all things London, such as Buckingham Palace; a double-decker bus; Queen Elizabeth II; and the Crown Jewels. There was a model of the Tower of London, too! Even the teacher was English! I felt right at home!

I read the story with different regional accents, and took questions from the students at the end. They had a ton of thoughtful, enquiring questions and comments. We all enjoyed the Q&A session.

When our time was up, the children lined up and asked me to autograph the bookmarks I had given each of them. They made me feel so special!

A few weeks later, I received a delightful letter in the mail. It was from Ryan, one of the students from the International School. He told me how much he had enjoyed the book. Wow! This is what makes the endeavor worthwhile. Thank you Ryan. And, thank you to everyone at the school for welcoming me, and embracing the story of Fred & Fiona.