All about kids and reading
PRINCETON — Children of all ages — anyone who’s ever bid “Goodnight, Moon” or wandered “Where the Wild Things Are” — are invited to attend KidLit’s premiere event, to be held along Princeton’s South Main Street Sept. 25.
“There’s hardly a person I have spoken with who can’t talk about some children’s book of some kind that they remember or that had an impact on them,” said LuAnn Salz, one of the coordinators of KidLit.
The seeds of KidLit were born several years ago in Festival 9 3/4, which entertained thousands of visitors with the world of Harry Potter.
“When we were doing Festival 9 3/4, we always knew that we were going somewhere else after the whole Harry Potter thing was over,” Salz said. “This was the route that we chose.”
KidLit will have some things in common with Festival 9 3/4, but it will also be very different.
“It will have a lot of the same carnival atmosphere, a lot of the same walk around, do things, look at things, but it’s not going to be Harry Potter,” she said. “I think it will be equally fun in a different way.”
KidLit will feature the presence of a number of authors of children’s books, beginning with Richard Peck, who’s been writing books on a variety of subjects for the junior high crowd since 1973.
“He’s just a phenomenal author, and we’re extremely excited to have him,” Salz said.
Peck will launch his new book “Three Quarters Dead,” a young adult paranormal, at the event.
Another book launch will come from the local author guest of honor, Father Dominic Garramone from St. Bede. Garramone will launch the first in a a new series of picture books,
“Brother Jerome and the Angels in the Bakery.”
Salz said Brother Jerome is a quiet and reserved monk who tends the monastery bakery and is led into all sorts of circumstances by the angels who look over the bakery.
KidLit, which will begin at 9 a.m., will feature readings and book signings from Peck, Garramone and five other Illinois authors,
There will also be a wide variety of activities, many of which are geared to children 12 and under. Salz said almost every activity is linked to a book.
“So we have Mask Making a la 'Where the Wild Things Are,' Simple Origami with 'Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes,' and Safety Town with 'Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus,'" she said with a laugh.
For Salz, one of the highlights of the day will be a golden ticket hunt like in the book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
“That has been my baby since Day 1,” she said.
Envelopes, one per child, will be available at no charge at the information booth for children 15 and under.
“You open the envelope, and there may or may not be a ... golden ticket!” Salz said.
There will be five golden tickets, which will include instructions about where and when to report, just like in the book.
“We will have Willy Wonka there to greet them, and their tickets will go into a hat, and from that hat one winner will be drawn,” Salz said.
Another highlight will be a life-sized pop-up book.
“All I have to say is Dave Mead, from Nightmare on Fairgrounds Road, the man is an absolute genius,” Salz said. “When he came up to me and said ‘LuAnn, I’ve got this great idea,’ and he started describing what he wanted to do as far as a life-sized pop-up book, I was floored.”
In addition to all the activities, food and vendors, there will be programs for both children and adults.
Kids will have a costume contest, a storytelling time and a fairy godmother will read fairy tales at noon.
For adults, there will be panel discussions, beginning with Helping the Reluctant Reader at 9 a.m.
“I think this is something a lot of parents deal with right now,” Salz said.
At 3 p.m., Mick Henneberry will present a session on storytelling.
“He’s going to talk about the importance of family stories, just your own history, knowing and sharing that with your kids,” she said.
At 3:15 p.m., adults will learn How to Choose Great Children’s Books.
“It will be very helpful for any parent who looks around and says, ‘How do I pick the cream from the crap?’” Salz said with a laugh.
There will also be a lunch with the authors as a fundraiser at 12:15 p.m., and the event will end with a free wine and cheese reception for the authors at the Princeton Public Library at 5 p.m.
KidLit is designed to provide fun for children for a day, but also to help more children through the KidLit Foundation Inc. Salz will be working with publishers to get books to distribute to low income and at-risk children.
“For me, early childhood education is getting a head start, and having books in the home is important, having them there to read over and over and over again,” she said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to help in that regard.”
The people behind KidLit consist of a core group of eight, an additional eight to 10 peripheral people, and numerous volunteers — more of which are still needed. Salz said what they all have in common is an excitement about children's books.
“It’s the ability to take a world that is vast and just let your imagination go absolutely insane,” she said. “The sky’s the limit.”
More information about KidLit is available at www.princetonkidlit.org.
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