Well-Read: Festival of Children’s Books & Authors Preview
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Legendary throughout the book community, this beloved literary event draws top children’s authors and illustrators to Rhode Island from all over the country. The RI Festival of Children’s Books and Authors has featured many author/Illustrators and Caldecott/Newberry medalists and Honor Books winners. This year Eileen Christelow, Michael Emberley, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, Steve Jenkins (this year’s RI Children’s Book Award winner), Tad Hills, Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth celebrating its 50th anniversary), Gail Carson Levine, Kadir Nelson, Robin Page, Linda Sue Park, Phillip and Erin Stead, Chris Van Allsburg and Deborah Wiles will be in attendance! Talk about an all-star line-up!
Megan Lenihan, Lower School librarian at Lincoln and one of the event’s organizers, has been involved with the festival since it came back 7 years ago, as she told me. “We brought the Festival back in 2005 and it has been growing ever since,” she says, and that she enjoys every second of it. Lenihan adds that this year's event will feature local food truck vendors for lunch, 10% discount for educators and offer 7 hours of CEU credits for educators.
Last year’s event had almost 3,000 people but don’t worry--they have plenty of room and never sell out. Tickets are available at the door for $5. Lenihan goes on to say that there is lots of big sponsor help but “really, it is the Lincoln School community along with local librarians that help us to pull off this event.”
One such community member is Colleen Zeitz, the Upper School librarian. “This year we have a truly amazing group of authors and illustrators who are storytellers at heart, so it is fascinating to hear them talk about their lives and work,” she says. Zeitz shares that the kindie-rock band, Recess Monkey, will be performing and has “great tunes you won’t be able to get out of your head.” One of these melodies is even called, “I’m Your Favorite Book!”
Author 411
Unable to wait two more weeks, I checked in with a couple of the authors who will be here for the festivities. Tad Hills (Duck and Goose) tells me that it is his first RI book event and he’s looking forward to finding out what’s so special about the Festival. Hills was busy working on a new book over the summer so he didn’t have much time for recreational reading. Tad is currently working on the follow up to How Rocket Learned to Read called Rocket Writes a Story.
Also making her first RI appearance at this year’s Festival is beloved author Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted). One of the things Levine finds special about this event is its format. She appreciates the time allotted for speaking about her work. I couldn't resist getting her favorite summer read: Levine’s was Ted Kooser’s family memoir entitled, Lights on a Ground of Darkness. She is also working on a sequel, this one to her mystery, A Tale of Two Castles. The new book will be another mystery featuring the detective duo, Elodie and her dragon employer Masteress Meenore. Levine also has a book of mean poems for kids coming out in March, 2012 called Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems.
Gail tells me that her she'd love if readers checked out her blog, which focuses on writing and she enjoys answering questions from readers - kind of a writing Dear Abby.
For more information on this year's festival, go here.
Reading enthusiast and all around "book-pusher" Robin Kall can be heard live Saturday mornings from 7-8am on Reading With Robin WHJJ 920AM. Also streaming live at http://www.920whjj.com. Follow on Twitter @robinkall, and Facebook - Reading With Robin. All new Web site! http://www.readingwithrobin.com
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