Gaithersburg Book Festival to Feature Free Workshops for Children Led by Top Authors and Illustrators
Gaithersburg, Md. – April 18, 2018 – Children of all ages can explore their creativity in writing and illustration at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. A full day of free workshops, designed for elementary, middle and high school students, will be led by some of today’s top authors and illustrators during the Festival on Saturday, May 19, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the grounds of City Hall (31 S. Summit Ave., Gaithersburg, MD 20877).
The children’s workshops include:
Drawing Dragons and Monsters – Steve Light
Elementary School
Author-illustrator Light will teach participants how to draw a dragon and a monster. He also will give some drawing demos of his favorite creatures and encourage kids and their grown-ups to follow along with him.
Comics Character Team Up – Dave Roman
Ages 6-15
Author Dave Roman (“Astronaut Academy,” “Teen Boat”) will present an interactive workshop that’s all about developing unique characters and collaborating with fellow artists to create unexpected comic stories full of twists and turns.
Popping up with Robert Sabuda
Elementary School
Ever wonder how pop-up books work? Learn from Sabuda, the world’s leading expert, a best-selling children’s pop-up book artist and paper engineer. He will lead children and their grown-ups on a pop-up making escapade.
Make it Snappy! – Sarah Albee
Middle School
Using mentor texts and examples from her own revision process, Albee will discuss strategies to help kids bring their own writing to the next level. Geared especially to those with an interest in humorous/lively writing, these craft techniques can be useful for writers of both fiction and non-fiction.
Journal Writing for Young Sports Fans – Fred Bowen
Ages 8-15
Be a sportswriter. Cover your own team or even a pro team. Participants can discover more about their sport, themselves and the joy of writing, and create a memory book they’ll want to have their whole life. Bowen, Washington Post/KidsPost sports columnist and author of “Quarterback Season” (about a kid who keeps a journal) will provide tips and advice. Participants will learn what to put in their journal (rosters, game schedules) and how to think and write in new ways about the games they play and love.
The Secret to Every Great Story – J.H. Diehl
Ages 8-12
Participants will explore the question: What makes us tell each other stories? Through interactive activities, they’ll hunt for a secret to all great storytelling. This workshop is a great way to jumpstart writing one’s own story
Fantasy Prompts for Young Writers – Annabelle Jay
Middle to High School
In this workshop, published author Jay will lead young writers in a series of fantasy prompts. Appropriate for beginners and more experienced writers alike, this session will inspire participants and give them several story beginnings to expand on at home. Adults are also welcome!
Untamed Voices: The Writer Within – Vincent Hill
Middle to High School
Led by poet/writer/performer Hill, this workshop is a creative writing experience geared towards identifying the writer within each of us. In a fun, interactive space, participants will learn that everything in life can be a muse to their pen.
No pre-registration is required for these free workshops. Participants should just plan to show up at the time their preferred workshop is scheduled to start. Workshops are generally limited to 20 participants, but individual presenters can expand the workshop at their discretion.
For more information about children’s workshops, the presenters and the schedule, including additional workshops geared for older teens and adult writers, please visit the Workshop page of the GBF website.
About the Gaithersburg Book Festival
The Gaithersburg Book Festival is an annual all-day celebration of books, writers and literary excellence. Quickly becoming one of the premier literary events in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, the 2018 Festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 19, on the grounds of Gaithersburg City Hall, in Olde Towne Gaithersburg, Md. Activities include author appearances, discussions and book signings; writing workshops; a Children’s Village; onsite sales of new and used books; literary exhibitors and food, drink, ice cream, and more. A free, accessible shuttle will be available from the Shady Grove Metro Station and Lakeforest Mall. The Gaithersburg Book Festival also hosts author events in Montgomery County throughout the year as a way to encourage continued appreciation for all things literary. For more information please visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org or follow on Twitter @GburgBookFest.
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