2010 Writer's Festival

Each year my school puts on a writer's festival where they work with two other schools in the system to get popular children's book writers to come and speak to the students. This is the week and I am loving it. This year's authors are Gordon Korman, Stephanie Greene, and Matt Faulkner.

Gordan Korman spoke yesterday. He wrote books like Swindle, Zoobreak, Liar Liar Pants on Fire, and the second book in the 39 Clues series, One False Note. He gave fabulous insight into the importance of researching information as you write. The students enjoyed hearing from him and the book sale/ signing after school was packed.

Today, I had the opportunity to have lunch with the second author, Stephanie Greene. She was delightful! She was truly interested in knowing what students, teachers, and librarians wanted in books and had an incredible knowledge of other book authors. I was intrigued by her point of view. Stephanie writes the Owen Foote series, the Sophie Hartley series, as well as several other books. She was particularly good because her books are on my students level- she was great!

Images from Amazon.com

Tomorrow is the last day of the festival. Author and illustrator Matt Faulkner is coming to speak to the students. He is probably the author I am most excited about. He illustrated the book The Monster Who Ate My Peas which has quickly become one of my top 2 favorite picture books (next to Click Clack Moo). He also wrote and illustrated a picture book about two children's innocence during the Civil Rights movement called A Taste of Colored Water. I am anxious to hear what he shares and see some of his work in person.

Because of my internship, I have helped with the process of setting this festival up over the past couple of weeks. It has been so cool to see it come together and to see the children enjoy it. As one mother said, it's letting the students see authors as real people and opening their eyes to the possibility that they could do it too. I am blessed to be in a system that is able to organize and create this opportunity. It also has me racking my brain for a way to raise money to do something similar in my own library one day. But that is another bird to chase....

Happy Hump Day everyone! I hope you are having a great week!