Hello America

Posted by Philip Reeve at 17:33
I did a question and answer session last week with pupils at  Leesburg, Virginia - my first school event in the USA.  And I didn't even have to leave my own office.  

It was all thanks to the internet and the wonder of Skype, which I'd vaguely heard of but didn't realise was something I could actually do until Renee Kelahan, the librarian at Loudon County Day School, got in touch to ask if I 'skyped'.  Well, I didn't, but it turned out that with a bit of help from her and Sarah McIntyre it was quite easy.  

Lucky Loudon County students listen to my words of wisdom and wonder if there's anything better on another channel...  
The students had been reading Fever Crumb and also doing some tie-in work on genetics in their science lessons - which means they probably know far about both subjects than I do (now that I'm two books further on, it's quite hard to think back to all the things that happened in Fever Crumb.)  It was a bit strange at first to be talking to a picture on a screen, and I kept looking at them instead of into the little camera above my monitor, but I think it went well - at least, the students asked some good questions; whether I gave them good answers or not, you'd have to ask them.  A couple of people wanted to know why I'd killed off certain characters, and I got the impression that they wished I hadn't, which is interesting (though I'm unrepentant).  
Anyway, don't all rush at once, but I guess I am now available for Skype sessions: all enquiries to thesolitarybee@gmail.com