Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Youth Summer Reading and Writing Camps!

Now that the weather seems to be finally warming up, we're breaking out our flip-flops and starting to think about what to do this summer! Of course, there are a ton of options, but we'd like to spotlight some youth camps related to reading, writing, and storytelling. So when your child says in the third week of summer, "I'm tired of going to the pool," you can pull one of these out of your pocket:

The Corbin Art Center hosts a variety of classes, workshops, and camps for all ages:

Fun From A-Z - (registration number 11920)
Ages: 3 Yrs. to 5
Dates: July 5-July 9
Time: 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Fee: $27.00
For a week, let's create from the alphabet! Each day you will select several letters from the alphabet to include in fun art projects.


Creative Theater & Storytelling Camp (registration number 11982)
Ages: 6 Yrs. to 11 Yrs.

Dates: June 28-July 2
Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fees: $104.00
Description: This is a one week camp with an innovative mix of interactive storytelling and role playing activities, games and prop, costume and mask making, is lots of fun and focuses on teaching skills in communication and concentration. Students assume the roles of characters and collaborate to tell stories in fantasy literature.

Character and Plot Development - (registration number 13737)
Ages: 14 Yrs. and over
Date: July 1

Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Fee: $15.00
Description: This one day workshop is lead by Stephanie Splater. Strong fiction is driven by dynamic characters and enticing plots. Sharpen your skills in these key aspects of fiction writing with activities and discussions geared toward writing fiction that will sell. Bring your current work in progress (or writing samples will be provided) and something to write with.


Writing Fiction - (registration number 13735)
Ages: 14 Yrs. and over

Dates: Tuesdays July 6-July 27
Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Fee: $49.00
Description: Teens and adults are welcome to work with Neal Peters for a whole month of creative writing. Love to write, but feel intimidated to write a full-length novel? Feel the impulse, but never finish writing a story? Here's help to become your own editor and explore ways to finish projects. Topics include writing beginnings, middles, and ends, character construction and plotting. Bring a composition book and pen or pencil.

Pre-registration is required! For a list of the different classes, workshops and summer camps, go here. For general information on the Corbin Art Center, go here or visit spokaneparks.org.

Coeur d’Alene Arts Commission also offers multiple summer classes, but this one is particularly interesting to us:

Book Arts

Ages: grade levels 4-7
Dates: July 13, 14, 15
Time: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Fee: $30
At: Harding Family Center, 411 N. 15th., Coeur d’Alene
Description: Share Sharalee Howard's love of books and art. For the last nine years she has been learning about, creating, teaching, and selling hand bound books. This class will explore a variety of bookbinding techniques.

For more information and to register, visit cdaid.org or call (208) 676-9132.

Saint George’s School offers Summer Camp classes to kids in the community:

Writing Workshop

Ages: grades K-2
Dates: August 16 to 20
Time: TBA
Fee: $125-$150
Complete course description is yet to be announced, but the class follows the primary writing program—words.


Stories Alive - Reader's Theater
Ages: grades 3-6 (and possibly younger)
Dates: June 21 to 25
Time: 9:00 am to Noon
Fee: $150

Words will come alive as you learn to create scripts from stories, poems and your own original work. You will learn about acting, directing and taking a character from the page to the stage. The week will culminate in a performance for friends and family showcasing your work as a writer and actor!

Registration Deadline is May 28. For more information, click here or call 466-1636 ext. 400


Central Valley School District offers the following to enhance reading and writing development:

Ages: elementary students, grades 1-2 or 3-5
Dates: Monday – Thursday June 23 – July 22 (No classes July 5)

Time: session from 8am – noon
At: Broadway Elementary
Fee: $150 per student (scholarships available)
Description: Elementary students in need of additional skill and strategy development in reading and math will benefit from Summer School 2010. Students will work in small groups.

Early Reading and Literacy for grades 1 and 2
A balanced approach to literacy and math is provided to help students become successful learners. Students will work on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development and reading comprehension.


Intermediate Literacy for grades 3, 4 and 5
A balanced literacy framework forms the basis for this class. This includes fluency (recognizing new words and reading with ease) and comprehension (making connections between what a student hears and reads and then using thinking strategies effectively). Students will also gain experience writing for different purposes and audiences.


Ages: middle school students, grades 6-8
Dates: Monday – Thursday June 23 – July 22 (No classes July 5)
Time: session from 7:45 – 9:45 a.m. or session 2 from 10 a.m. – noon
At: Central Valley High School
Fee: $75 per session (scholarships available)
Description: Middle school students in need of additional skill and strategy development in reading and writing will benefit from Summer School 2010. Each session is designed to meet the needs of struggling students who would benefit from additional academic support. Teachers will develop a Student Learning Plan that addresses specific learning targets for each student. Each class will provide whole group, small group and individual instruction with a maximum class size of 15 students. Reading/Writing: Students in this class will work on strategies to build reading fluency, comprehension and writing skills using both fiction and nonfiction texts.

These classes are open to all students. For more information on these and high school related summer classes related to language arts click
here, visit cvsd.org, or call 228-5400

Friday, May 14, 2010

Upcoming Readings for Kids

Here is a sampling of children's book readings happening in May and June!

Molly Shannon Reads To School Children


Superhero Storytime: Reading from Superhero School by Aaron Reynolds & Andy Rash. Comic book lovers should stop by before Spokane Comicon to get inspired to draw some comics of their own! Saturday May 22, 11 a.m., Auntie's Bookstore

Colors of the Rainbow: Hear colorful stories read and make a cool mosaic light catcher.
Saturday May 29, 11 a.m., Auntie's Bookstore

Father's Day event, Storytime, crafts and treats revolving around good ol' Dad!
Saturday June 19, 11 a.m., Barnes & Noble, Eastside Location

Weekly Children's storytime, includes a reading and treats. 11 a.m. June 5, 19 and 26 (all Saturdays) Barnes & Noble, Eastside Location.
Clifford the Big Red Dog will be visiting! At the B&N children's stage and available for photos.
Saturday June 26, 11 a.m. Barnes & Noble, Eastside Location

Also, it seems like most bookstores in town will be having an event on June 12 to celebrate the release of Toy Story 3. For younger children, the corresponding book is already available at Auntie's Bookstore.

Last but definitely not least, all of the Spokane Public Library locations have preschool and toddler storytimes on a weekly basis. They recommend toddler storytime for 18-36 months and preschool storytime for ages 3-5. Check here for your local branch's schedule.


For More Information:

Auntie's Bookstore Events
Barnes & Noble Event Calendar
Borders Events

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

"Crafting a Great Story" panel

Now that the fabulous 2010 Get Lit! Festival is over, the team at Get Lit! thought we'd take some time to reflect on a few of the amazing events held this year.

One of the first events of the festival this faithful intern attended was the "Crafting a Great Story" panel, which featured Janet Fitch, Kevin Canty, Lore Segal and Lisa Norris, and was moderated by Laura Read, instructor at SFCC.

The four panelists each read a sample of their work and then opened things up for questions to the audience at large. Many community members were in attendance as well as SFCC, EWU and other college students, and the questions ranged from "Where do you get your ideas for novels?" to specific questions about plot, character and getting published.

Both Kevin Canty and Janet Fitch agreed that the process of writing a piece can stretch over a very long time period. Canty informed the audience that he is currently working on four novels (!?!) at the same time, and informed everyone that he didn't publish his first story until age 40. Fitch expressed a similar journey, describing how she decided to be a writer at age 21 "before she'd written anything," she joked, and from that point it took her ten years to get her first story published.

The panelists also agreed that much of their best work had come out of pieces they'd originally envisioned being much shorter. Fitch's novels Paint it Black and White Oleander, she told the audience, both grew out of short stories, and Lore Segal explained how sometimes you have to let the piece determine its own length.

Each author expressed a different way of approaching their work, but they all agreed on the importance of having someone you can trust to read your work and provide honest feedback. Fitch and Canty both cautioned against using a family member, while Norris countered that she has successfully relied on her spouse to be her first reader throughout her career.

Throughout, all the panelists were friendly, kind, funny and open. They joked with each other and with the audience, but answered each question earnestly and thoroughly. During a break halfway through as well as after the panel, each author was approached by audience members who had another question or just wanted to shake hands. One SFCC student took a self-portrait of himself and Lore Segal using his IPhone while a local writer chatted with Lisa Norris. A few students eagerly held out books for Janet Fitch to sign while Kevin Canty thanked a student for their praise of the short story he'd just read.

Overall the panel was a resounding success! The auditorium was full of eager listeners, the audience asked well-meaning questions and hearing each author read a snippet of their work before beginning the discussion was so interesting. I left the panel feeling inspired by each writer's commitment to their work and relieved that these confident, successful authors had struggled as young writers. Gives the rest of us a little hope!

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