All 50 States School Visit Quest – Dori Hillestad Butler

You want to WHAT?
That’s what a lot of people say when I tell them I want to do an author event in all 50 states.

Are you crazy?
That’s often the next thing they say. And maybe I am. But when I was a kid, I didn’t think I’d ever become an author and I became one. Once I started publishing books, I never thought I’d have my own series. And I’ve had five of them. I certainly never thought I’d win any big awards, and I’ve done that, too. How is this any different?

It’s a goal, like wanting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro (something else I’d like to do!). When you have a goal, you break it down into manageable pieces, and tackle each piece (or in this case, each state) one by one. That’s what I’m doing.

Why? Why do you want to visit a school in all 50 states?
That’s like asking me why I like to write. I just do. But if I dig a little deeper, there are reasons why I write. I’ve always loved stories…whether those stories were experienced in a book, on TV, a movie screen or stage. It’s even more fun to create a story out of nothing. I also write to make sense of the world, to connect with others, and because I like to turn non-readers into readers. There’s nothing more gratifying than to hear, “I never really liked reading before, but then I read Do You Know the Monkey Man” or “The Case of the Lost Boy is the first chapter book I read all by myself.” That’s why I write.

So why do I want to visit a school in all 50 states? <shrug> I like to travel…I like to meet people…and I genuinely enjoy doing school visits.