(Chelsea Update would like to thank Keegan Sulecki for the information in this story.)
Chelsea District Library (CDL) is pleased to announce the 10th annual Authors in Chelsea program.
This two-day program is a partnership between CDL and Chelsea Schools that brings nationally known authors into the classroom. Since its inception, it has encouraged over 9,000 Chelsea students to explore the art and craft of writing.
Through workshops and assemblies, students learn to better read and appreciate literature and discover how they too can use writing as a powerful tool to express themselves.
This year’s program will take place on March 12-13.
The Authors in Chelsea program is made possible by the continued support of the Chelsea Education Foundation (CEF) and the Friends of Chelsea District Library. CEF’s generous $1,000 grant pays for books by the visiting authors for school classrooms and media centers. These books allow teachers the ability to use them as part of their curriculum planning and to prepare students for the authors’ visits.
Through the fundraising efforts of the Friends of Chelsea District Library, the program receives a $2,500 donation to offset authors’ appearance fees. Support from these organizations allows more than 1,000 children in grades 1-6 to participate each year.
“Most communities the size of Chelsea do not have the opportunity to bring in authors of this caliber and we could not do it without such generous community support,” says Keegan Sulecki, head of Information Services at CDL.
This year’s distinguished guests include Dori Hillestad Butler (The Buddy Files & The Haunted Library series), winner of the 2011 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery; Cynthia Lord (Rules & Shelter Pet Squad series), a Newbery Honor Medal recipient; and Shelley Pearsall (The Seventh Most Important Thing & Trouble Don’t Last), winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction.
These authors will be visiting North Creek, South Meadows, and Beach Middle schools respectively on March 12 and 13. During their time in the classroom, the authors provide writing presentations and workshops to students.
In addition to visiting Chelsea Schools’ classrooms, this year’s guests will also be present for An Evening with the Authors, an event open to everyone at Washington Street Education Center on Tuesday, March 12 at 6:30 p.m.
“It’s amazing how the authors captivate audiences each year with stories— stories of their writing and the stories of their lives,” says Edith Donnell, youth and teen librarian. This event is free of charge and includes an opportunity to purchase books to be signed by the authors, courtesy of Just Imagine.
The first 20 families to arrive for the event will receive a free book.
For more information about Authors in Chelsea, please visit: www.chelseadistrictlibrary.org/authors-in-chelsea/.
