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Up To Date

Writers' Roundtable: Children's Book Authors

It’s a special blend of characters, engaging stories and occasionally, a bit of magic that goes into a great children’s book.

On Thursday's Up to Date,  Steve Kraske hosts a roundtable of children's book authors, including Brian Selznick, Richard Peck, Sarah Weeks and Avi to discuss their methods for putting together award-winning tomes with that extra spark of fun.

Hear an example of one of their performances; this is Sarah Weeks' Woof :

UTD_5-2-2013Woof.mp3

HEAR MORE: Brian Selznick, Richard Peck, Sarah Weeks and Avi will speak at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2, at the Kansas City Central Library, 14 W. 10th St. Call (816) 701-3513 to reserve a spot. They will speak again at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Library, 4801 Main St. Call (816) 701-3407 for more details.
 

Avi is the author of seventy books. Winner of many awards, including the 2003 Newbery award for Crispin: the Cross of Lead (Hyperion), two Newbery Honors, two Horn Book awards, and an O'Dell award, as well as many children's choice awards, he frequently travels to schools around the country to talk to his readers. Brian Selznick is best known as the author of The Invention of Hugo cabret. He has illustrated Frindle by Andrew Clements, Riding Freedom and Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride, both by Pam Munoz Ryan; as well as his own book The Houdini Box, winner of the 1993 Texas Bluebonnet Award.    Richard Peck has written more than twenty novels. He has won the Margaret A. Edwards Award from School Library Journal, the National Council of Teachers of English/ALAN Award, and the 1991 Medallion from the University of Southern Mississippi.    Sarah Weeks has written more than fifty picture books and novels for children and young adults including the best selling novel, So B. It. and Oggie Cooder. Weeks is an adjunct faculty member in the prestigious Writing Program at the New School University in New York City and a founding member of ART, a traveling troupe of authors who perform reader's theatre at conventions and conferences across the country.

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When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.