Students run book festival
Photos by MELODY YU
by MELODY YU
The second Commerce Loves Reading Book Festival will be held tomorrow from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in the City of Commerce Public Library.
The fair will feature local authors and five question-and-answer sessions with a panel of authors.
“I mainly wanted to be a moderator because we get to keep the books we read from the authors,” said Jasmine Valencia, senior. “So, now I have some of my favorite books that I could get signed by them [the authors].”
Each panel will focus on four authors who have written in similar genres. The sessions included are titled “Peace of Mind,” “#wakeupamerica,” “They live,” “In a Genre, Far, Far away” and “Identity Crisis.”
“Peace of mind” will be held from 10:30-11:20 a.m. and focus on mental and emotional well-being. From 11:25 a.m.-12:15 p.m., “#wakeupamerica” will talk about realistic fiction, a genre that includes stories that could have happened to people or animals in a believable setting. “They live” will address politics, specifically fake news and alternative facts. After lunch, two sessions will be held from 1:10-2 p.m. “In a Genre, Far, Far Away” will highlight a spectrum of subjects, while “Identity Crisis” will emphasize self-discovery and staying true to oneself.
The scheduled authors are Julie Buxbaum, Jeff Garvin, Charlotte Huang, Kerry Kletter, Kathy Kottaras, Gretchen McNeil, Marisa Reichardt, Lilliam Rivera, Sara Santana, Ann Stampler, Kasie West and John Corey Whaley.
“I worry that some of us are too quick to associate reading with work. With that view, they may be missing out,” said Erik Jackiw, lead advisor. “More than that, I hope attendees will take the time to listen to some great authors and hear about contemporary works of teen fiction.”
Those who attend are encouraged to participate in a literary costume competition after lunch, where participants dress up as their favorite characters from any book.
To advertise the fair, Schurr students made promotional videos, which will be posted on the Commerce Library Instagram and Facebook page.
The books discussed will be available for purchase.
The library is located at 5655 Jillson St. in Commerce. More details are available at teens.cocpl.org or by calling (323) 722-6660.