So, while I was taking a hiatus from this blog, I was still traveling and visiting schools. There were so many amazing ones that I feel obligated to share about them, even though it is rather belated. For example, all the way back in February, I celebrated the Lunar New Year like this: First, Chinese Spring Greetings met me at the door: And I did my thing with some cute students, seeing different age levels a time: look how short my hair was! I haven't gone for a haircut since it was first cut because of the novel. You know how athletes sometimes have "playoff beards?" I have finish-the-novel hair. But after I finished, ALL the students started to stream in--each holding special projects they had done inspired by my books: I thought this was especially clever--a dragon noisemaker! Students made dragons out of paper cups and then taped streamers to one end and cut a hole in the other. When they shouted in the hole of the cup, the streamer flew out. Chinese rattle drums! paper lanterns And why were the all there? Why to see the dragon, of course: each student made their part of the dragon! It was an awesome dragon parade! And a great way to start the Lunar New Year!