Jenna Bush visits Tampa high school

Jenna Bush signs copies of her new book, Ana's Story,this afternoon at a Books-A-Million store in Brandon. [Zach Boyden-Holmes | Times]

TAMPA -- Freedom High School got the presidential daughter treatment when Jenna Bush made a stop at the school to promote her new book this morning.

More than 700 students were chosen for an honors assembly that featured Bush, who spoke for about 30 minutes. She talked to the students about her work with UNICEF and her book, Ana’s Story. She also answered five questions written by students and signed copies of her book.

“It was an extraordinary opportunity for the students to get to meet a young published author,” said principal Richard Bartels. Secret Service agents' work and heightened security did not impede regular school activities, he said.

Students came up with 10 questions, and Bush chose five of them to answer.

One question posed to Bush was what she thought the biggest threat facing America’s children today was and what high school students can do about it. Elizabeth Behrman, the school newspaper editor, said Bush talked about school violence, and one thing high school students could do to deter it is to smile in the hallways.

The school sold Bush’s book for three days before the event. She signed more than 100 copies after speaking.

- Jared Leone, Times staff writer

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Comments

[frank]

she wrote a book? please, tell me another one.

[b]

Hopefully she received the ability to write the book from her mother and not her father...

[wayne]

Obviously she did--her father can hardly write his own name!

[wayne]

Obviously she did--her father can hardly write his own name!

She's HOT!

[Eva]

Does Jenna really think that "smiling in the hallways" would have prevented a violent act like Columbine?
Come on Jenna get real!
What was the topic of "Ana's Story"? Would it have been published if she weren't the president's daughter?

[Derek]

How can she smile knowing her Father ruined the United States of America? I'd never show my face in public again.

[SkippedThePityGathering]

Nowadays, one smiles and they think you are getting away with something. What, an insight on success and happiness? How could that be, that's not fair! Give em' a urinalysis. In fact, put a tail on em'.

[Mira]

Well done Jenna! It is always refreshing to have young people doing good things. Congratulations for your first book :)

[Kitty]

Maybe kids aren't smiling much these days because they're picking up on their parents' angst - wondering if they're going to have a job tomorrow, rising cost of EVERYTHING and stagnant (and in some cases, falling) wages. Perhaps if ms. jenna had to deal with real world issues she would understand why kids don't smile these days.

[georgeisanidiot]

OMG students should smile more....I reckon if we were born with a sliver spoon in our mouth ( or is it up her nose ) we'd smile too!

[Roger]

Sounds like Jenna learned how to solve serious, complex issues from her father.

[Dave]

If I was in high school with Jenna Bush, and she and her giggling group of simple rich morons passed me by with a patronizing smile thinking they were helping me feel accepted...

...Well let's just say that sort of thing brings homicidal thoughts to the surface; it doesn't take them away.

Jenna certainly is a chip off the clueless Bush block, huh?