New York Times bestselling author Andy Griffiths, who hails from Australia, visited The Steward School on April 11 for a public talk and book signing. Mr. Griffiths’ books, including “The 169-Story Treehouse,” are loved by young readers around the world. Lower School Librarian Carlee Cutchin collaborated with Richmond-based bookstore bbgb to organize the visit. 

“The 169-Story Treehouse” tells the tale of Andy and Terry, who live in a treehouse and are hiding from a truancy officer who is trying to catch them.

“The story is wacky and nonsensical, which students love,” said Ms. Cutchin. “The main characters’ trouble-making twins, Anti-Andy and Terrible Terry, live in a doppelgänger mirror, and they take advantage of the confusion to escape and wreak havoc in the treehouse.” 

Mr. Griffiths captivated the audience with details about his writing process and his characters’ antics. “I always name my best character ‘Andy’ … after ME!” he said. “So every book has an ‘Andy.’” 

As he quipped that both “The 169-Story Treehouse” and Steward’s lost-and-found bins have “lots of levels,” Mr. Griffiths described the levels featured in his book, including one that contains a lost and found. To the delight of the audience, he then pulled out a bag of his own lost and found items: a rock, a stick, and a banana! 

When he playfully asked, “Do any of these things belong to any of you?” dozens of hands shot into the air. Mr. Griffiths chose three students from the audience and asked them to ad-lib where they had “lost” the items. 

A doppelgänger contest added an extra element of fun to the event. Attendees were invited to dress in pairs (one “regular” person and one “evil” doppelgänger). Twins Harper Wilkinson ’32 and Susan Wilkinson ’32 dressed as an evil twin and a good twin. Mr. Griffiths concluded his presentation with a book signing, even drawing personalized pictures in each book! 

Mason Wingfield ’31 said, “I loved looking in-depth at the detailed mind of Mr. Griffiths. I love to read because I find it an escape from reality, and I enjoyed speaking with Mr. Griffiths. He loves some of the same books I do.” 

“When students meet authors in person, they make tremendous connections,” said Ms. Cutchin. “Readers hear about the writing process, ask questions, and learn how ideas can bloom and flourish. They discover an affinity with professional authors, who share that writing isn’t seamless; as with any creative process, it can involve a lot of fits and starts. Students love knowing that their favorite authors are like them: They try out new ideas, work through struggles, and celebrate accomplishments.”