Author Camp
From Open Book Productions & Children’s Book World
A week-long session for middle schoolers where kids read books and meet the authors!
Begins August 3rd!
Discover great new books!
Meet and interact with the authors!
Participate in creative writing exercises!
Author Camp will introduce your child to five new books and their authors! The week-long session meets daily and features five new middle school books.
Classes are led by Lynn Rosen, owner of Open Book Productions and English, writing, and publishing instructor. (For more about Lynn see HERE.)
All sessions include virtual visits from the authors!
Here’s how Author Camp works:
- We meet once a day for an hour and a half via Zoom.
- The cost of the class includes a copy of each of the five books that are part of the camp. (When you sign up, we will be in touch to arrange how you will get the books.)
- The session begins with some ice breakers and get-to-know-you warm-up activities led by Lynn.
- Campers then take out the book of the day and Lynn leads them in a reading. The reading is interactive, pausing along the way to point out notable parts of the story and underlining what is happening in the story. (Note: we will read the first chapter together, and participants will be free to read the rest of the book on their own.)
- Lynn then leads a group discussion about the book: what’s important about the book, the plot, what we liked about it, what it makes us wonder about. Lynn will share background about the book and the author with the campers.
- We’ll do some activities and writing exercises related to the themes of the book.
- Then we prepare to meet the author. The children are guided to think of questions they would like to ask the author about the book and to write these questions down in preparation.
- Next, we meet the author! The author joins us on Zoom to answer the children’s questions and for a reading from their book.
- Lynn will close the class by summing up what we’ve done and then prepping them for the next day’s book, showing it to them, giving them some clues on what to look for and encouraging them to spend some time with the book before we meet again the next day to read and discuss it.
Sign up HERE
With any questions, email lynn@lynnrosen.com
Author Camp: Middle Grade Books
Session 1: Week of August 3rd, meeting daily from 2pm to 3:30pm
(Additional sessions for subsequent weeks in July will be added.)
This class is for children who are comfortably and independently reading middle grade books. Generally this is grades 3-6 or ages 8-12, but you know your child’s reading level!
FEATURED AUTHORS & BOOKS
Monday, August 3
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
A powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are forced to navigate the world, all while training for a fencing competition. Indie booksellers say this is: “a book filled with brilliance, familial love, and friendship.” Kirkus Reviews says: “Placing biracial boyhood and the struggles of colorism at its center, the novel challenges readers to pursue their own self-definition.”
Tuesday, August 4
Jupiter Storm by Marti Dumas
Ten-year-old Jackie excels at being in charge. Her skills keep everything from gardens to five unruly brothers in line. So, when a curious chrysalis appears in Jackie’s front yard, she naturally decides to take charge of it. The creature that emerges is not like anything Jackie has ever seen, and she soon realizes that she must protect it at all costs, even from her own family.
Publication Date: November, 2017; Retail price: $9.99
Wednesday, August 5
American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar
“When a racist incident roils Lekha’s small town, she finds her voice with the help of her community, Avantika, and her newfound sense of self in this charming novel, which explores the complexity of immigration and identity.”—Teen Vogue
An Indian American girl navigates prejudice in her small town and learns the power of her own voice in screenwriter Supriya Kelkar’s in this effervescent middle grade novel full of humor and heart.
Thursday, August 6
Naked Mole Rat Saves the World by Karen Rivers
Karen Rivers has been celebrated for her “darkly humorous [and] original” (New York Times Book Review) stories that “revel in life’s nuance and complexity” (School Library Journal). Her new book follows Kit-with-a-small-k as she deals with friendship drama and her mother’s deteriorating mental health, all while keeping a ginormous secret: when she’s anxious, she turns into a naked mole rat.
Publication Date: October, 2019; Retail price: $16.95
Friday, August 7
Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker
Ware can’t wait to spend summer “off in his own world”—dreaming of knights in the Middle Ages and generally being left alone. But then his parents sign him up for dreaded Rec camp, where he must endure Meaningful Social Interaction and whatever activities so-called “normal” kids do. “Pennypacker’s writing is thoughtful, deliberate, believable, and punctuated seamlessly with touching moments. Ware’s inner thoughts add subtle humor and context to his character, creating moments for readers to understand what makes him tick.” —The Children’s Book Review
Publication Date: February, 2020; Retail price: $17.99
Cost: $185 (early bird pricing). Includes 5 books (tax included & shipping also if needed).
A second child from the same family is an additional $100 (this is a discounted price and does not include books).
Sign up HERE
Note: Once you sign up, you may arrange to pick your books up at Children’s Book World in Haverford. Arrangements may also be made for Cheltenham area pick up. If you are out of town or otherwise require shipping of the books, please sign up by July 24th so we can ship your books to you in time! Thank you!
With any questions, email lynn@lynnrosen.com
