Those who worry that the younger generation has lost interest in reading books have probably never visited a teen book festival.
A group of 32 Killeen ISD middle school students, librarians and other chaperones participated Saturday in the Cen-Tex Teen Book Festival on the Brazos at Tennyson Middle School in Waco.
Students represented five middle schools. They spent the day in panel discussions, question-answer sessions and other meet-and-greet settings with like-minded peers and 33 visiting authors.
The students dived into techniques for exploring themes, building plots and developing characters. They asked where authors get their ideas, how they get published and numerous other queries about the writing life. They also all went home with a free book of their choice.
The festival was not just about reading. Students learned about and tried their hands at drawing cartoons and painting with expert guidance.
They also circulated through rows of tables, meeting authors up close in a convention-style setting with music playing and vendors on hand.
Liberty Hill Middle School Librarian Rebecca Fay said the teen book festival experience is powerful because students see that authors are regular people, and writing is a field with wide open career options.
“We look for extra-curricular ways to engage students,” she said. “If we can show them that literacy goes beyond the classroom, that there are real-world examples, that is so powerful.”
The panel discussions allowed students to choose among different genres to find out more about the kind of books they enjoy reading.
“They got to ask their own questions about what inspires the authors,” Fay said. Students wanted to know how they navigate obstacles in their writing.
One of the authors explained that writing is everywhere, that you might use words to stay safe, to stand up for yourself or to help people in all kinds of ways beyond simply reading to learn or for pleasure.
“Most of the time kids are just so surprised to have met an author. That they were in the room, shook hands, got a picture with an author. They see that the name on the book is a person,” the librarian said.
“Some of the authors shared that they have other jobs and have to find time to write. It’s like going to school and also finding time to play basketball.”
Liberty Hill sixth-grader Rhylie Wells said she got to draw comics and learned from an author about horror books, a genre she is not normally drawn to. Later, she was expecting to get to paint and listen to more authors.
“I love it,” she said. “It’s fun. I love reading books and I love to know about books and authors.”
Reading, she said, has a calming influence on her and helps her focus. “I like to read a lot of different books,” Wells said, explaining specific book characters she could identify with personally.
She expects to be a teacher when she finishes school and said reading would be an important skill and interest. Reading is also an interest she shares with her mom.
Authors explained that ideas for writing can come from listening to music, exploring the outdoors or most anything.
Also, Wells said, authors don’t necessarily need to be experts at spelling and grammar but have to stay persistent at forming stories and editing their work.
“They are able to be writers and authors and publishers,” said JDA Librarian Leslie Rowe. “They are learning the process, and they are learning that if they are readers, they can be writers.”
She explained how students talked with authors about their books as they chose what they wanted to read and which title they would walk away with, a new literary adventure to explore.
In prior years, KISD students have traveled to a much larger book festival in north Texas. This year, librarians decided to stay closer to home.
A KISD Education Foundation grant allowed the middle school students to travel to the Waco event this year.
“We were looking for something closer and I think giving them the experience of a teen book festival while supporting the local community is great,” said Rowe. “Anytime we can drop nuggets for reading we have to do it.”
“I’ve been having a great time,” said JDA eighth-grader Kiana Etheridge, who enjoyed learning about the writing process authors go through and different methods of publishing their work.
“Being able to indulge in a story (is something I enjoy),” she said, explaining her preference for audio books and science fiction.
“I really enjoy seeing what the characters are going through and how that can reflect on the author,” said Etheridge.
The well-spoken eighth-grader said she plans to be a surgeon, a career path that will require a whole lot of reading and writing, as well as the courage to try something new and potentially thrilling.
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