Variety and engaging speakers are two parts of a formula to get kids interested in reading and books.
Organizers at BookFest, the annual literacy event in downtown Nanaimo, aimed for a collection of authors who appealed to the imaginations of children ages five to 12.
The lineup of nine authors and illustrators includes writers of historical fiction from Métis, Chinese and Inuit traditions, fantasy and more.
“There is a graphic artist which I don’t think we’ve had before,” said Barb Kerfoot, in charge of publicity and promotion for the festival.
Leading 45-minute sessions are Werner Zimmermann; Paul Yee; Joan Betty Struchner; Martin Springett; Andrea Beck; Mike Deas; Julie Flett; Michael Kusugak; and Julie Lawson.
For a description of the authors, please see page 22.
A majority of the authors come from a teaching background and infuse their presentations with humour, dramatics and activities.
“They don’t just want to stand in front of them and talk,” Kerfoot said.
BookFest started in 1986 as a way to encourage reading and interest in literature among children. Since then, it’s grown to include lunchtime activities, like entertainment and face-painting, plus pre-school programs, which are free to attend.
Lunchtime entertainment is provided by Jangano Marimba Band, a teen group from Oceanside.
BookFest is set for May 5 at downtown venues. Tickets are $10 per child, which includes three sessions with authors or illustrators; $25/family of three or more.
Adults attend for free but must have a child with them.
Tickets are available through the Port Theatre ticket centre at www.porttheatre.com or 250-754-8550. For more information on the event, please visit www.bookfest.ca.
Nine authors and illustrators participate in BookFest 2012.
Using tales from her childhood, Andrea Beck describes how she brought her characters Elliot Moose and Pierre Le Poof to life. Using role play and props, Beck explains writing a book from start to finish, for both words and pictures. Ages five and up.
Mike Deas’s love for comics started at an early age, and the graphic illustrator shares his current project Graphic Guide Adventures. The Capilano College graduate offers tips on story development and artistic demonstrations. Ages nine and up.
Julie Flett is a Métis artist who uses photography, drawing and painting to illustrate her stories. She uses her projects as a chance to explore her roots, talk to elders and connect with others in her community. Ages seven and up.
Storyteller Michael Kusugak listened to his grandmother tell stories of his Inuit heritage, passing down stories in the oral tradition. Using these ancient stories, along with his own experiences of living a traditional Inuit lifestyle, complete with dogsleds and igloos, in the Arctic, he crafts stories to transport readers to another world. All ages.
In Julie Lawson’s books, children will find cougars, ghosts and Chinese dragons, fishing adventures and quick-talking pirates. Her latest book, one of 20 she wrote after 18 years of teaching, links the ghosts of the Titanic to a 13-year-old boy. Ages 10 and up.
Martin Springett shares his latest book, based on a true story that happened in the Comox Valley, about a great Dane that adopted an abandoned fawn. Adult readers would recognize his artwork from Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Fionavar Tapestry Trilogy. Ages nine and up.
Joan Betty Struchner challenges children to believe in the impossible. Through her books, children who are clumsy become ballerinas or fiddlers without ever taking a music lesson. Ages seven and up.
Paul Yee creates original stories based in Chinese history in Canada. The people in his stories dig for ore, build roads and share what life was like working on the railroads in the Fraser Canyon. Ages 10 and up.
Children might just become part of the story as Werner Zimmermann brings his books to life with props and artwork. He no longer lives in the north but still finds inspiration in winter, like he did for his popular book Snow Day. Ages five and up.