The Signed Book

Every New Year’s Day, Kristen (my wife and partner in all crimes and misdemeanors) and I reflect on the year just ended. This coming January 1 we will ask each other, “What were your five best moments of 2013?” Most of our combined ten moments will have to do with our two kids, Charlie (five), and Luke (almost three). But this year there will be one moment that has nothing to do with our kids that is likely to top my list.

Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois -— a truly remarkable indie bookstore (remarkable in a wonderful way) —- hosted me as a featured author at their “Pre-Pub Club” for teens and educators two nights ago. Everyone in attendance received an advanced readers copy (ARC) of The Scar Boys, and virtually everyone read the book before coming to the event.

Kurdt plays guitar.

Nearly fifty people (30+ teens, 10+ teachers/librarians) turned out on a cold and rainy night, and I was, predictably, nervous. As the kids ate pizza (sponsored by my publisher, Egmont), I went from table to table and got to know everyone. What an incredible group — engaging, fun, funny. Then I did a thirty minute presentation, with video, live guitar, and lots of discussion. (Special shout out to Kurdt, a tenth grader at Dwight High School who had the courage to come up and play a wonderful rendition of Stairway to Heaven for all assembled. Let it be known from this day forward that Kurdt rocks.) At the end of the evening, we all posed for a group picture, and then I signed everyone’s books (and one teacher’s denim jacket!).

It was a magical night in every way. But the real magic didn’t happen for me until the next morning.

A tradition of Pre-Pub Club is that everyone in attendance signs one copy of the ARC for the author. I tucked my copy away, saving it for the plane ride out of Chicago.

The notes written to me in that book —- in my book, I suppose (still not used to that) —- were inventive, silly, and heart-warming all at once. Case in point. Hannah, a “Freighth Grader” (Hannah skipped a grade and is in ninth grade instead of eighth), wrote on the inside cover that she was going to include a note with each of the forty chapter headings. She did. They sum total was hilarious.

Matt (nicknamed “Jesus”) wrote: “Loved the whole book. Keep writing and doing what you love.”

In response to one of the bullying scenes, one of the teachers, Wendi (who may have also inadvertently started me on a path to write a Scar Boys sequel), wrote: “Thank you for opening my eyes. My heart breaks for these victims.”

And there were so many more. I loved them all. I don’t know that I’ve ever had so much fun reading words on a page. But there was one note in particular that really got me:

“Thank you for writing this book. Now I am not alone.”

That even one person was able to feel a sense of connection or belonging because of something I wrote is.. is… words fail me. It is validating, but that doesn’t begin to cover it. It is energizing, but that doesn’t really cover it either. It is amazing, though even that doesn’t cover it. Maybe I should just say it’s validenergimazing. You get the idea.

“Now I am not alone.”

I was sitting on an airplane when I read those words, and I almost completely lost it. If the person who wrote that comment should reads this post, know that you are NOT alone. There are so many people who feel exactly the same way. We all just need to find each other. And if The Scar Boys helped you do that in any way, well, then thank you for giving the top five-moment of my 2013.