Focus On Youth

For Kids and Teens

Believing that the love of books and reading begins in childhood and that children are more inclined to read and learn when exposed early on to age-appropriate, fun, book-related activities, Children’s Authors, Storytellers and the Young Readers Pavilion are firmly established as integral components of the annual Louisiana Book Festival.

Programs for younger readers will take place throughout the day in the State Library and Young Readers Pavilion. The Young Readers Pavilion is located in front of the State Library along North 4th Street and includes the Activities Tent, Storytelling Tent, the Writing Enrichment Tent and the Face Painting Tent.

In addition to professional storytelling and writing enrichment activities, the Young Readers Pavilion offers craft making, face painting, and costumed storybook characters.

PROGRAMS FEATURING CHILDREN’S AUTHORS
AND CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

9 AM - 10 AM
Louisiana State Museum, Auditorium
“Louisiana Writes” Award Ceremony
The Louisiana Writing Project inaugurated the statewide Louisiana Writes writing contest in 2004. The 2008 competition was open to all Louisiana students in grades 1 - 12. Louisiana Writing Project teacher-consultants and Louisiana authors judged entries of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The authors of the winning entries are being recognized at the award ceremony.

10 AM – 2 PM
In Front of the State Capitol
Race Cars At the Festival!

10 AM – 5 PM
ACTIVITIES TENT

10 AM – 5 PM
COSTUMED CHARACTERS

10 AM – 5 PM
FACE PAINTING TENT

10 AM – 10:45 AM
Louisiana State Capitol, House Chamber
Louisiana Writer Award Ceremony
Honoring William Joyce
with Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu
Rebecca Hamilton, State Librarian, Presiding

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
State Library of Louisiana, Seminar Center
Journeys: The Stories of Hans Christian Anderson
A Dance Recital
Mid City Dance Project 
Mid City Dance Project, Inc. began when co-founders Renee M. Chatelain and Cecile Lemoine Bankston became volunteer ballet instructors at the Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Center. Since 1994, Mid City Dance has educated underserved children in East Baton Rouge Parish, including students with physical disabilities, who participate in beginning ballet and dance. Concurrently, it has provided opportunities for all of its students to perform in community productions and events like the Louisiana Book Festival.

In Journeys: The Stories of Hans Christian Anderson, the Little Match Girl takes her audience on a transformative life journey through her own story as well as those of Thumbelina, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Nightingale and The Ugly Duckling. Each story is told through dance with original music by Jason Hubbard and with narrations reciting original text of the various stories written over 200 years ago by Anderson. Large puppets and a cast of forty dancers from around the community tell these classic tales.

10:15 AM – 10:45 AM
Storytelling Tent
Jeannine Pasini Beekman

11 AM - 5 PM
Scholastic Book Fairs is proud to sponsor the
Scholastic Tent and the Klutz Build a Book Party
It’s a time where families can come together to imagine, create and inspire a love for books that will last a lifetime.

11 AM – 11:45 AM
House Committee Room 4
A Cajun Folktale and a Voodoo Mystery
Berthe Amoss

11 AM – 11:30 AM
In Front of the State Capitol
The Gearhead Librarian
Selena Muhuberac

11 AM – 11:30 AM
Storytelling Tent
Sherry T. Broussard

11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
State Library of Louisiana Seminar Center
Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award Ceremony
Honoring Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude and The Lightning Thief
with musical entertainer Rick Kelley performing
Don’t Just Sit There, Read Something!
Angela Germany, Presiding
Underwritten by Capital One

11:15 AM – NOON
Senate Committee Room F
Marshall: A Sea Rescue
Whitney Stewart

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Writing Enrichment Tent
Early Literacy Writing Activities for Ages 3 – 5
Judy Boyce

Make a puzzle with the letters in a child's name!

Playful activities can help children make the connection between the spoken language and the printed word, especially when the focus is on the letters in their own names. Letter rubbings help very young children recognize the shape of the first letter in their names while strengthening their finger and hand muscles. With the dot-to-dot alphabet stamps, children can stamp their names on paper and connect the dots to write their names. Name puzzles show children the correct sequence of letters in their names and give them a fun way to learn the name of each letter, too!

11:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Writing Enrichment Tent
Writing Enrichment Projects for Grades 1 – 6
The Louisiana Writing Project

The Louisiana Writing Project is a network of five university-based locations that seek to improve writing instruction in Louisiana by sharing the best practices of the best writing instructors of all disciplines, from kindergarten through college. It is affiliated with the National Writing Project, a professional-development initiative based on teachers teaching teachers.

Student in grades 1 – 6 are invited to participate in writing exercises conducted by member-educators of the Louisiana Writing Project.

11:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Storytelling Tent
Angela Davis

12:30 PM – 1 PM
Storytelling Tent
Johnette Downing

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM
State Library of Louisiana, Seminar Room
Molly the Pony: A True Story
Pam Kaster

1 PM – 1:30 PM
In Front of the State Capitol
The Gearhead Librarian
Selena Muhoberac

1 PM – 1:45 PM
House Committee Room 2
Cajuns and Their Acadian Ancestors: A Young Reader’s History
Shane K. Bernard

1:15 PM – 1:45 PM
Storytelling Tent
Phil Melancon

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM
State Library of Louisiana, Seminar Room
My Aunt Came Back from Louisiane
Johnette Downing

2 PM – 2:45 PM
House Committee Room 6
Tennyson
Lesley M. M. Blume

2 PM – 2:30 PM
Storytelling Tent
Oneal Isaac

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM
State Library of Louisiana, Seminar Room
Mission Possible: Write Your Own Secret Agent Story
Elizabeth Singer Hunt

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
State Library
Mother Goose Cares About Math and Science
For parents and children from ages 3 - 7
Judy Boyce and Virginia Gough

In Who Sank the Boat?, by Pamela Allen, a group of animal friends get together for a ride in a row boat. The boat never leaves the dock and everyone wants to know, "Who sank the boat?" Librarian Judy Boyce and educator Virginia Gough will model how you can involve your child in conversation about this book and others. There will also be fun science activities you can try that go with the story by experimenting with sinking and floating.

Developed by the Vermont Center for the Book, the Mother Goose programs not only model conversation and reading aloud, but also demonstrate activities that parents can conduct at home to give their children opportunities to investigate and explore basic science and natural science processes and math concepts. Reading to young children, involving them in conversation, and giving them the opportunity to explore and investigate the world around them is fundamental to their reading development and success in school.

2:45 PM – 3:15 PM
Storytelling Tent
Calliope Puppets

3 PM – 3:45 PM
House Committee Room 4
The Chicken Dance
Jacques Couvillon

3:30 PM – 4 PM
Storytelling Tent
Jeannine Pasini Beekman

4:15 PM – 5 PM
State Library of Louisiana, Seminar Center
Journeys: The Stories of Hans Christian Anderson
A Dance Recital
Mid City Dance Project 

4 PM – 4:45 PM
House Committee Room 6
And Now for Something Completely Different:
Stretching the Illustrator
Jean Cassels

4:15 PM – 4:45 PM
Storytelling Tent
Calliope Puppets