The Children’s Literature Festival was held on campus for local elementary students and featured many children’s authors from across the country. The Children’s Literature Festival held the event March 27 in the SUB Georgian Rooms, to a large audience.The goal was to get the students connected with the text and excited about reading. Strong reading skills are fundamental to life skills at that age.
“Reading is such a foundational part of education in all parts, not just literature and writing, but also your math has reading, your science has reading, your history has reading,” MAE student Reagan Murrish said. “And I know learning the faces behind the books makes it more meaningful for them.” The event was vital for the students.
“It’s so important that kids get this opportunity, you never know what is going to get a kid excited to get them to want to read,” said Janelle Stephens, the librarian at William Matthew Middle School.
One way to get kids engaged is to include them in the creation process. Illustrator Mat Heagerty created a live character painting based on suggestions from the audience.
Author Heather Murphy Capps speaks to elementary students about her upper middle-grade book, Indigo and Ida, which received a gold medal Moonbeam Book award and a Social Justice Literature award. Murphy Capps started writing and telling stories as a child and focused on historical fiction.
Author Heather Murphy Capps speaks to elementary students about her upper middle-grade book, Indigo and Ida, which received a gold medal Moonbeam Book award and a Social Justice Literature award. Murphy Capps started writing and telling stories as a child and focused on historical fiction.
At the Children’s Literature Festival hosted on campus, Robbi Behr and Matthew Swanson, husband and wife duo, explain their process when creating children’s books. They co-created popular titles such as Cookie Chronicles, The Real McCoys, and Sunrise Summer, with Behr illustrating and Swanson writing. (photos by Erin Hulbert).
While signing a book for one of the elementary attendees, author Heather Murphy Capps answers questions from the students. Murphy Capps’ presentation focused on the importance of knowing one’s characters and history.
While signing a book for one of the elementary attendees, author Heather Murphy Capps answers questions from the students. Murphy Capps’ presentation focused on the importance of knowing one’s characters and history.
MAE student Reagan Murrish, Children’s Literature Festival volunteer, sets down her time cards for author Heather Murphy Capps. Murrish was in charge of introducing Murphy Capps and taking notes for her.
Presenting to a group of elementary students, author Sarah Guillory goes over her sticker reward system for motivation: one sticker for writing 1,000 words per day, and another for running. Guillory’s presentation emphasized the importance of completion over perfection.
Comedic middle school-grade author and illustrator Mat Heagerty creates a live illustration for the kids based on suggestions from the audience, going back and forth between storytelling and creating. The final illustration was a taco whose job was “burger,” taking his ravioli K-pop friend to an IKEA in the morning, where they were attacked by a spaghetti monster.
Elementary students raise their hands to contribute their ideas in Mat Heagerty’s illustration presentation. Heagerty is neurodivergent, and he spoke about the strengths of neurodivergent kids.
Comedic middle school-grade author and illustrator Mat Heagerty creates a live illustration for the kids based on suggestions from the audience, going back and forth between storytelling and creating. The final illustration was a taco whose job was “burger,” taking his ravioli K-pop friend to an IKEA in the morning, where they were attacked by a spaghetti monster.
Janelle Stephens is the middle school librarian at William Matthew Middle School. Stephens grew up attending the literature festival as a child and is on the Children’s Literature Festival Committee, helping out behind the scenes.
“One of the biggest things is getting kids excited. I think there is something really powerful about kids seeing someone be like, ‘hey, this is how creativity starts.’ Creativity starts flawed,” Heagerty said.
