GBF Author Dave Roman Wins Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
by Jennifer Nicholson
On May 2, the Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL) announced that Dave Roman’s “Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity” was the winner of the new graphic novel category of its Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. The award has been given out annually by the MASL since 1992. This is the second year the graphic novel category of the award has been in existence. Maryland is one of the only states to include a graphic novel category for its state book awards. Children throughout the state of Maryland are eligible to vote for their favorite books in the following categories: picture books, graphic novels and chapter books. More than 73,000 children voted for their favorite books this year.
Despite being from New York, this will be Dave’s third year presenting at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. It’s no wonder why Maryland students love this amazing author so much! Dave is a talented writer and artist whose work is easy for children to relate to. He is currently working on a series called Teen Boat with John Green as well as creating a graphic novel adaptation of “Night of the Living Dummy” for the new comics anthology Goosebumps Graphix: Slappy’s Tales of Horror. He also writes a webcomic, starbunny.
This year, Dave will be presenting at the festival with another awesome artist, Jorge Aguirre, author of “Giants Beware!” and the forthcoming “Dragons Beware!” at 2:15 pm in the Jim Henson Pavilion. (Be sure to arrive early as their presentation is sure be immensely popular and will fill up quickly!)
Dave will also be doing a game show during the book festival called Comics Quickfire! at 4:20 pm on the Imagination Station stage in the Children’s Village. Kids of all ages will be paired off with (or against) professional illustrators in a series of fun-filled drawing challenges! Audience members will provide suggestions and add to the creation of totally improvised epic drawings! Featuring graphic novelists Dave Roman (“Astronaut Academy: Re-Entry”), Pénélope Bagieu (“Exquisite Corpse”) Alexis Frederick-Frost (“Adventures in Cartooning”) and surprise guests.
Jennifer Nicholson is the librarian at Gaithersburg Elementary School. She has been a part of the Gaithersburg Book Festival committee for the past 4 years.