Newbery Medal Winner Avi Comes To Town
About 2,000 Warwick elementary students have been participating in the One School, One Book, One Community program, which encourages students and their families to all read the same book at the same time. This year, the book that was chosen for the One Book event was "Poppy" by award-winning author Avi.
Avi visited Lititz from May 7 through 9, making a number of presentations to students at schools in the area and speaking to families at the community event "An Evening With Avi" at Warwick Middle School on May 8. Avi's visit was made possible by the Warwick Education Foundation (WEF), which sponsors the One School, One Book, One Community program.
When Avi addressed Lititz Elementary School students in fourth through sixth grades on the morning of May 9, he began by answering what he termed "crucial questions" from students. Among those questions were "What inspired you to be a writer?"
"I love to read ... and when you read a lot sometimes you like to think that you can write," said Avi.
Following the question-and-answer segment, Avi gave a multimedia presentation designed to help the students become better acquainted with his life. He showed snow-scene pictures of his log home in Colorado, telling the students, "There's a lot of snow, and it doesn't melt fully until August. It's a very beautiful place." Avi also shared photos of the wildlife he often sees near his home, along with pictures of his wife, children, grandchildren, and dog. Avi continued by introducing students to his family of origin, including his twin sister, followed by a photo of his classmates in elementary school.
The majority of the presentation focused on Avi's development as a writer, beginning with his love of reading as a child. He noted that he liked to read science fiction, adventure, and mystery, including the Tom Swift and the Hardy Boys series.
Avi shared his earliest piece of writing, which he said was a script for a radio show about police and robbers in space. "The word 'scene' is spelled incorrectly four different ways (because) I was a pretty bad speller," noted Avi, who added that it was not until he attended the Elisabeth Irwin School in Manhattan that he decided to dedicate his life to writing. Avi shared a photo of one of his papers dotted with myriad corrections he received from a teacher. He explained that the teacher suggested Avi focus on shorter papers with fewer errors. "That's when I decided to become a writer, because I wanted to show that I could write," Avi said.
The author, who eventually published more than 80 books, attended the University of Wisconsin, where, as a senior, he won a contest for his one-act play called "A Little Rebellion." In 1960, the play was published in a magazine. Later, when Avi was working as a librarian, he put together stories he told his oldest son in a book called "Things That Sometimes Happen," which was also published.
Avi told students that it generally takes him about a year to write a book and another year to complete the publishing process. "When you get an idea, you have to work it out and shape it," he told the students. As an example, he shared the evolution of the first line of his book "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle." "The last (version) reads better (because) it's much more interesting," he said. "The more you rewrite, the better your writing is. Rewriting is what writing is really about."
WEF provides grants which enrich education opportunities for students in the Warwick School District. WEF has provided more than $1.5 million in funds to help enrich education in the district and benefit the community. Readers who would like to learn more about WEF and how the organization benefits area students may visit http://www.WarwickEF.org. Individuals who have questions may email info@WarwickEF.org.
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