AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS NIGHT
January 31, 2025 6-8pm
(Check-in at 5:30pm Auditorium)
Authors and Illustrators Night gives Lowell students the opportunity to attend workshops with successful authors and illustrators in order to learn more about the process of writing and illustrating books. We have another great line-up this year of writers and illustrators eager to inspire our Lowell Sea Stars.
Students will get to hear introductions from all of the presenters during the opening panel in the Auditorium. Then we will move to the classrooms and/or designated spaces. The 50-minute workshops are tailored to students in each grade level and are limited in size so students get to interact and learn from our guests.
After the workshops, we will end the night with a small book sale and signing in the cafeteria. Hot chocolate and cookies will be provided.
You can pre-order the book(s) by JANUARY 20th if you would like to have the author or illustrator sign your book. The book(s) will be available for pickup in the cafeteria, on the night of the event.
Be sure to use the code “Lowell” at checkout for 15% off if you purchase through the pre-order page.
Pre-order book(s) through the Casita Bookstore and Community Space today! CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ORDER.
Three Bee Honey" by Jon and Desi St. Amant can be pre-ordered here and picked up after the workshop in the cafeteria, on the night of the event (Use the code LOWELL2025 to cancel the shipping charge). A book purchase comes with a signing, a free bookmark set, plus a character drawing created by Jon!
SPACE IS LIMITED - REGISTER FOR YOUR GRADE'S EVENT BELOW!
**Please only sign up for ONE workshop**
REGISTER WITH YOUR CHILD'S NAME - SEPARATE REGISTRATION FOR EACH CHILD
Parent/guardian MUST attend event with registered child(ren)
DO NOT register parent/guardian.
WORKSHOP #1 - GRADES TK-1st with Rhode Montijo
Rhode Montijo is the creator of Sí. ¡No! and Más. ¡Menos!, the first two books in his series set in Skeletown, a fun, imaginative world inspired by Día de los Muertos. He is also the author and illustrator of the Gumazing Gum Girl! chapter book series, as well as the picture books Cloud Boy and The Halloween Kid.
WORKSHOP #2 – GRADES TK-1st with Kathryn Rammell
As a child, Kathryn Rammell had big glasses and an even bigger imagination. She’s since swapped her glasses for contacts, but her imagination has only gotten bigger. Happily, she gets to share a bit of that imagination with young readers through her picture books. RORY THE REMARKABLE DRAGON, the story of a chicken’s first day at dragon school, is her author-illustrator debut, with more picture books on the horizon.
WORKSHOP #3 – GRADES TK-1st with Helena Ku Rhee
Helena Ku Rhee is an award-winning author of stories for kids and the young at heart. Her bestselling book The Paper Kingdom was featured on Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, and ABC TV. Helena is also the author of Sora's Seashells, which was a recipient of the 2024 Ezra Jack Keats Award Honor, as well as Rosa's Song, The Turtle Ship and Shoes Off, Please (which will be released in 2025).
WORKSHOP #4 – GRADES 2nd -3rd with Marie Chan
Join author Marie Chan for an interactive read aloud of her book, Mamie Takes a Stand. Students will have the opportunity to use fun costumes and props during story time and view artifacts and primary sources from this biography. Students will experience the art of writing Chinese calligraphy to learn Chinese words from Mamie Takes a Stand.
WORKSHOP #5 – GRADES 2nd - 3rd with Jon and Desi St. Amant
Learn how to create your own unique character! After a short talk about Three Bee Honey and the process of creating the book, Jon and Desi will help students illustrate a bug-style self-portrait and learn the elements of character design.
WORKSHOP #6 - GRADES 2nd - 3rd with Rene Colato Lainez
René Colato Laínez will discuss and read from his picture book Do I Belong Here? The author will talk about our dreams and ways to accomplish them. The illustrator of the book used the Ex Votos style in the illustrations. An ex-voto is created when an individual's prayers for a dream or miracle are answered. Usually done on canvas, wood or tin, ex-votos generally consist of two basic elements: the illustrative depiction of the event and a narrative. Participants will have the opportunity to create their own ex votos to illustrate their dreams on a sheet of wood.
WORKSHOP #7 - GRADES 4th-5th with Kim Dwinell
Kim Dwinell is the author and illustrator of the Surfside Girls middle-grade graphic novel series (Top Shelf/IDW) and was a consultant on the Surfside Girls AppleTV+ live-action show based on her books. She has also contributed to a variety of comic anthologies.
WORKSHOP #8 - GRADES 4th -5th with Susie Yi
What is a Long Shot? How about a Close-Up? Learn these comic terms and much more as we make a simple 6-panel comic from a prompt.
I will be discussing my latest book (woooooot woooooot finally!), Surfside Girls, The Clue in the Reef.
WORKSHOP #9 - GRADES 4th -5th with Ernesto Cisneros
Through the exploration of cherished memories—and those we'd rather forget. Students will learn how to draw from personal experiences to bring fictional lives into sharp, memorable focus, captivating readers with characters that linger long after the story ends.