School Visits in Bakersfield

Thanks to the Kern Reading Association, I just spent a week in five different Bakersfield middle schools. My expectations (hot weather, out-of-control hormone-driven teens) were nicely dashed. True, the week was exhausting--three assemblies a day to a sea of faces, but those faces were dear and, for the most part, paying attention. Having a good powerpoint really makes a difference. That and learning to be a ham, if you are not already one. I was surprised at the number of teens who are still reading picture books--the school libraries had lots of them. So at least they're reading, right? Maybe we writers need to provide more high-interest, informative picture books for this age group. They also like graphic novels, of course, but how many of them would you call informative?