There is a magical bunch of teachers, headed by book-loving first and fourth grade teachers (respectively), Lori Mollo and Anthony Russo at The Post Road School in White Plains, NY. You’d think there would be more events like this, though I realize what a huge, herculean effort a night like this takes to pull off. (I hope none of them are grammarians, as that sentence was a horror!) ANYWAY, I’ve done this author night for years, and as I haven’t actually blogged since Poetry Month started, I thought this deserved a post.
What they do is gather about 40 authors, this year including, but not limited to:
James Howe,
Susanna Reich
Roni Schotter
Stephanie Calmenson
Gail Carson Levine
Yumi Heo
Vicki Cobb
Diane DeGroat
Dan and Judith Greenburg
Michael Rex
Nick Bruel
Alan Katz
Uh, Me (doy!)
It starts at 4pm. We all gather to schmooze in the cafeteria, where they’ve displayed the books of about two authors per table. We get to look through each other’s books and talk – which, as authors, we don’t often get to do in person. After awhile, we all troop up to the art room where a feast awaits, brought in from a local Italian restaurant. They stuff us full of everything from Caesar salad to 3 different kinds of pastas, Eggplant Rollatini, chicken something or other, to the cakes and pies for dessert. Finally we heft ourselves upstairs to the gym, which has been decorated by all the students in the school. Every class adopts an author, and we all sit at tables around the periphery, in front of the fabulous, gigantic posters each class has make for us. The kids are book freaks! The teachers are excited, and it translates right down to the kids.
What a night. I’m so sad it’s over already! Thank you Post Road School, for another great author night!
Love,
Katie