April 10, 2006 - 5:00pm
Volunteers of the popular Vancouver Island Children's Book Festival will celebrate two decades of entertaining young Nanaimo readers with an exciting line-up of talented authors and illustrators at Bookfest, May 6.
Robyn McKay of P.B.Cruise Bookseller has seen a real surge of great Canadian children’s writers and illustrators being published over the past 20 years. Because many of those authors write about Canadian locations, people and situations, Canadian children can identify even more with the literature they are reading, said McKay.
"Children are excited to meet authors. They get that sense that an author is a real person."
McKay went to the first Bookfest in 1986 as a parent and has been involved with it ever since, including a 12-year stint as the festival coordinator.
"It’s just really exciting to see kids so enthusiastic about books and writers," said McKay.
Bookfest will be held at the Malaspina University-College Theatre where children can enjoy an intimate theatre setting with their favorite author or tuck into a book on a bench or grassy knoll.
A group of dedicated local librarians, school district staff, parents and Malaspina University-College faculty like English professor Terri Doughty work tirelessly every year to make the festival happen.
"Twenty years ago there wasn’t a lot of book-related entertainment," said Doughty.
"The idea of a writer as a person was far-fetched and not real to local kids."
For booklovers Doughty and McKay, the best thing about the festival is seeing the kids sprawled out on the lawn during the lunch hour completely engaged in reading.
"There are so many other forms of entertainment so I think it is important to remind kids that reading is joyful," said Doughty, whose own son has been going to the festival since he was five.
Every year, Bookfest attracts hundreds of eager kids who want to meet some of the best Canadian authors and illustrators.
This year’s line-up includes readings, workshops and presentations with Gabriola Island author/illustrator Dianna Bonder, poet/novelist Sheree Fitch, author/storyteller Richard Thompson, illustrator/author Werner Zimmermann, illustrator/author Eugenie Fernandes, author Roch Carrier, author Frieda Wishinsky, author Karen Levine, author Pam Withers, author Shelley Hrdlitschka and author John Wilson.
Illustrator and author Michael Martchenko, who has illustrated such books as Robert Munsch’s The Paper Bag Princess and Thomas’ Snowsuit, will be hosting a slide show presentation of his work to inspire children nine and up.
Registration is underway. Three 45-minute sessions are included in the registration fee of $7 a child with a family maximum of $20. Adults must be accompanied by a school-aged child. There’s also lots of free entertainment for families during lunch break. The first session starts at 10 a.m.
The Young Writers’ Workshop is $15 per participant for Grades 7 to 12. This year the workshop is being hosted by author John Wilson, who’s best known for his gritty historical novels portraying young people faced with challenging dilemmas.
For more information visit the festival website at www.bookfest.ca , email Terri Doughty at doughty@viu.ca or call 716-FEST.
Tags: In the Community
