Hippos and Panthers: TEXAS TOUR DAY 4

Yeah, hippos and panthers. Stick with me.

So the fab Danny Woodfill, owner with wife Julie of Round Rock's Book Spot, set out again with me today for more school visits.

An amazing morning at Kelly Lane Middle School, talking Russian history and Goals, motivation and conflict and eating more Swedish Fish and Sour Patch kids with about 150 8th graders. They rocked my world!  As did their librarian and this cool poster!

Also this, which if it existed when I was in middle school, would have had my entire allowance. A GEL PEN VENDING MACHINE!! I mean seriously! I LOVE THIS!!

Then it was on to lunch in Hutto, which used to be tiny but now is NOT TINY, but has this amazing story about how the circus train once left a hippo behind in town. REALLY! This is the legend. And everyone in Hutto loves the legend so much, that this is what I saw as we headed to the Texan Cafe:

Which, of course, meant that I had to do this:

And there was also this:

After that, I ate a Blue Plate Special of Chicken and Dumpling:

(plus green jello salad and fried okra, and yes, a roll.. DO NOT JUDGE. I did not order the peanut butter pie. This was health food, folks!)

And then on the Pflugerville High School where I visited with students and teachers about the ANASTASIA series:

and was MOST EXCITED to find out that PHS is WHERE THEY FILMED THE TV SHOW FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!! Yes, Pflugerville Panthers became the Dillon Panthers. The stadium, the hallways, the cheer outfits, the football helmets. So yeah, I had to stand on the Panther P on the football field where Tim Riggins once walked. The coach gave us permission. At least that's Danny's story.

And then it was on to Barnes and Noble for a signing:

And then I drove to San Antonio.
I would say it was a full day, wouldn't you?
Thank you to Sourcebooks for arranging!