AuthorFest, A Week-Long Celebration of Books and Reading, Kicks Off at Greenwood Elementary

It was all giggles, imagination and inspiration for the kindergarteners at Greenwood Elementary School on the morning of Feb. 14, as they sat cross-legged on the rug, staring wide-eyed at illustrations of ladybugs, whales, and dragons.

Author and illustrator David Biedrycki, sitting at the front of the room, began painting these creatures right before their very eyes. But he wasn’t using any paint.

Instead, Biedrycki, illustrator of  children’s books “Dory Story” and “Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective,” was showing the children how he paints -- using the computer.

"It's better for the enviornment this way," he said. "Less mess and wasted paper. Could you get your imaginations out for me?” he asked the group.

“Yes!” they yelled.

All the excitement was only the kickoff for the Greenwood Elementary School’s annual AuthorFest celebration, held this year from Feb. 14 to Feb. 18.  The week-long event, spearheaded by the Greenwood Parent Teachers’ Organization, brings nationally recognized and published authors to share their stories, their knowledge of composition and story development, and connects the students to the bigger world of literacy, publishing and editing.

Schedule of Events
Biedrycki's visit was just the beginning of AuthorFest. Local illustrator  Scott Magoon, visted the 2nd graders on Feb. 15. His work includes,  “The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster,” and his latest, “Mostly Monsterly.” Also on the 15th, Judith Jango-Cohen, author and photographer, is scheduled to present to the 3rd grade on writing, science, and social studies.

Author Suzy Kline will be visiting the 1st grade classes on Feb. 16. Kline is the author of the well-loved “Horrible Harry,” “Song Lee” and “Herbie Jones” series.

On Feb. 17, local author and illustrator, Jill Stover will be visiting the 4th grade. Jill primarily writes about growing up in Texas in her books “Trail Ride,” “Popsicle Pony” and “Alamo Across Texas.”

AuthorFest wraps up the week on the 18th with guest readers from the townʼs Best Buddies program who will be visiting each classroom. Then, Ryan Gormady, Wakefield High School graduate and founder of Chowdaheadz, will be making a special presentation to the 3rd and 4th grades to talk about his new book, “Charlie Chowdahead Travels Boston.”

The week will culminate with the annual “Character Parade” featuring the kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders while the 3rd and 4th graders create scrapbooks and journals to start their own stories.

Sponsors for this year’s Greenwood Authorfest include the Wakefield Educational Foundation, Wakefield Co-operative Bank, Glynn Contracting, Jennifer Baldwin Design, Middlesex Gas and Technologies, Fitz Machine, and Stop and Shop.

 Colleen Guida, co-chair of the AuthorFest committee, said the energy the authors bring is incredible, and the corresponding lessons are invaluable. Teachers read the books in their classrooms beforehand, and with the older children, they can learn lessons on plot, character development, and more.

“It gets the younger children to see that there’s something behind books, and it shows them any one of them could grow up to be an author,” she said.

Guida said it's also interesting to note the children understand seemlessly how authors like Biedrycki use computers to create the artwork.

"We just started to teach technology, so it's great to have the authors showing them how they can create their own pictures, and how the story can come from the images they create," she said.

Teaching Books to Kindergarteners
Biedrycki’s presentation to the kindergarten classes on the 14th started with a description of the process it takes to write a story.

“I sit down at my desk and great ready to write and – nothing happens,” he said. “Do you know what I’m missing?”

“A piece of paper?” one child asked.

“Even before that, “ he said. “What I need is an idea.”

Biedrycki said that ideas can hit at any time, making the kids laugh by saying he could be in the shower shampooing his hair when an idea hits, which sends him grabbing a towel and running down the hall to write it down before he forgets.

 Throughout his talk, he showed the children his original sketches and his story board, then showed how he creates his art through the Adobe Photoshop program on his computer.

He also told them how he first started drawing when he was around their own age, and showed them a photo of himself when he was in kindergarten.

Biedrycki said the entire event is a blast, both for the students, and for him, too.  In addition to getting the kids excited about books and reading, he said sharing his new books to the children is almost like doing market research.

“It gives me a chance to see what they understand and what they don’t,” he said. “I enjoy showing them my process of starting with an image and developing text around it.”

The students were enthralled by the story board of Biedrycki's new book, "Me and My Dragon," about a young boy who, instead of a dog or a cat, buys a dragon as a pet.

“I liked when he read his book to us, the new one with the dragon,” said Paige Butland, a kindergarten student at Greenwood.

At age five, she said she doesn't write her own books, "yet," although she does draw her own pictures.

"Except I use real paint," she noted.