Houston, we have a program

Board game created by student at Walker Elementary in Katy, TX,
based on Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman; see more below

From 3/29-4/1/09, I was in Texas—my first time there. I did author programs at five wonderful schools, culminating with the one that initiated the trip, Beth Yeshurun. Several other authors and author/illustrators were also guest speakers at that school's daylong Young Authors Celebration.

My warm welcome at Poe Elementary in Houston

Walker Elementary, Katy, TX; this and next two photos
courtesy of James Broadhead

Large Boys of Steel welcome cards made by students at Walker Elementary,
plus books to sign

More board games students created based on Boys of Steel

My three favorite signs of the trip, all spotted while I was driving and none that you'd likely see in the Northeast:

"In Need of BBQ Lovers" (bumper sticker)
"Honey Bee Removal" (handwritten sign stuck in dirt by side of road)
"Truck Accident Lawyer" (billboard)

What I love about that last one is the specialization. Car accident? This is not your guy, apparently.

I probably would have noticed more gems but my GPS had trouble with Houston's loop—the road that laps around the highways. Or rather, I had trouble with my GPS's interpretation of the loop. See, seems the loop has different names in different places, and most of those places (at least the ones I drove on) didn't have clear signs.

And speaking of barbecue, I received welcome letters from the students at Walker, and this was my favorite comment from them (sounds like a high compliment coming from a Texan):

"I like the Boys of Steel book better than my mom's steak and BBQ."