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Reading Festival Activities to Help Youths Zero in On Creativity
Feb 26, 2008 INFORMATION RELEASE Karen Sloan, Library Development Specialist PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST Reading Festival Activities to Help Youths Zero in On Creativity FORT MYERS, Fla., February 26, 2008 – Only one venue allows area youths to query today's finest comic book artists, come face-to-face with writers of their favorite books and practice reading and writing all in one setting. The 9th Annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival offers all of that and more. On Saturday, March 15, young children and teens will be able to select from a variety of free Reading Festival activities – from games and craft workshops to author presentations and writing exercises. Different activities are scheduled every hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Centennial Park in the Fort Myers River District, the Reading Festival's annual location. New to the event roster is PBS KIDS host Miss Lori. Youngsters can look forward to an energetic storytime with Miss Lori at 10 a.m. and noon in the Shows for Kids area. Appearances by Dr. Seuss' beloved The Cat in the Hat and interactive storytelling performances are planned throughout the day, including with returning Reading Festival author and storyteller extraordinaire Irene Smalls. Her colorful storytelling techniques are known to engage the crowd, as seen at last year's festival. Smalls' show is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Storytelling Tent. "We dance, sing and shake our hips – having the story happen in the making of the movements," said the writer of "My Pop Pop and Me," "My Nana and Me" and over a dozen other children's books. Jarrett Krososczka, author and illustrator of children's books "Baghead" and "Bubble Bath Pirate," also plans to deliver a memorable performance in hopes of influencing young aspiring writers. "I like to get the crowd involved as much as possible," he said. "I've been writing and illustrating books since I was in the 3rd grade. I've just always loved to tell stories visually and draw narratively." The lineup of teen activities is just as impressive. Providence Journal sportswriter Steven Krasner will jumpstart events on the Teen Stage with a news writing session at 10:15 a.m. Presentations from graphic novelists Jared Hodges and Lindsay Cibos (creators of the nationally syndicated comic strip "Peach Fuzz") and young adult author Melissa de la Cruz ("The Au Pairs" and "Blue Bloods" series of books) will follow at 11 a.m. and Noon. Wii gaming opportunities for teens will be ongoing, as well as library card sign-ups for all youths. "We're very proud to deliver an exciting lineup of popular best-selling authors and top-notch presenters for our young audience," said Karen Sloan, Reading Festival coordinator. "We strive to present a variety of topics and genres, and something for every reading level." For more information about children and teen activities at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival, call (239) 337-READ or visit www.lee-county.com\library.
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