The Student News Site of Mount Vernon High School

The Mustang Moon

The Student News Site of Mount Vernon High School

The Mustang Moon

The Student News Site of Mount Vernon High School

The Mustang Moon

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Popular Author Visits Mount Vernon Schools

By Maggie Dale

Author April Henry paid a visit to Mount Vernon High School on Monday, April 23. Henry is the author of many popular young adult books, including “Girl, Stolen,” “The Body in the Woods,” “The Girl I Used to Be,” and others. “I thought it was really cool how she based her stories off of real things, stuff she’d heard in the news, and how she mostly uses what is real but then throws in other stuff and changes certain things to make it her own,” said senior Marissa Cranston.  

Author April Henry speaks to 2nd Hour Mystery Stories class

Henry’s first published book, “Girl, Stolen,” was based off of a true story that she heard on the news. A blind girl was waiting in the car while her mother was shopping, the keys were still in the ignition, and someone got in the car and drove off with it without noticing the girl in the back. Henry took this story, altered it and added some ideas of her own, and made it into a   book. In her presentation on Monday, Henry told students about the amount of work she put into researching what it’s like to be blind. She read books, bought a cane on eBay and learned how to use it, interviewed a blind high schooler, and even went to a guide dog school.

Approximately 20 students taking a mystery stories literature elective at the high school attended Henry’s presentation during first hour. She told them that when she writes, she makes everything in her books possible. Perhaps not likely, she explained, but possible, and researches it thoroughly. Sophomore Kole Blackwell said he loved Henry’s presentation. “I enjoyed hearing her process for writing stories. She shared interesting personal experiences.”

Henry also signed books during lunch and did a Writer’s Workshop with about 45 people at the middle school, as well as spoke to the entire middle school student body in the auditorium from 2:30 to 3:15.

Cranston said, “I think I’ll read more of her books, especially now that I know they are based off of true stories. That’s pretty cool.”

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