116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
One Book Two Book Festival celebrates children’s literature Saturday and Sunday in Downtown Iowa City
The family friendly event includes cartoon screenings, author events and poetry workshop for middle-schoolers
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The Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature organization’s annual One Book Two Book Children’s Literature Festival will recognize the creativity of 28 area students as it offers a day of free, family friendly programming that celebrates creativity and stories.
The festival begins on Saturday, Feb. 22, and includes free programming for kids and their families from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at FilmScene at the Chauncey, 404 E. College St., and MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., in Downtown Iowa City. Events include author readings, sing-alongs, workshops, story times, a book fair, costume characters and more.
On Sunday, Feb. 23, student writers will be honored as part of the annual “Write Out Loud!” event held 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the auditorium in the University of Iowa’s Macbride Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
“One Book Two Book is one of our favorite events of the year,” said City of Literature Executive Director John Kenyon. “These two days of events celebrating writing for and by children are full of fun and energy.”
Saturday’s events include a daylong book and activity fair at FilmScene at the Chauncey that includes story times and sing-alongs, and a day with wooden trains at MERGE. Other highlights include:
- 10 a.m. to noon: Free cartoon screening at FilmScene at the Chauncey
- 10:30 to 11 a.m.: Author event with Raquel MacKay and her book, “I Hear a Buho,” FilmScene at The Chauncey
- 11 a.m.: A Visit with Owl Friends, FilmScene at The Chauncey
- 11:30 a.m. to noon.: Animal Poems with IC Speaks, FilmScene at The Chauncey
- Noon and 2 p.m.: Book Character Meet and Greet with Little Critter, Zoom Squirrel, Clifford and Maisy, FilmScene at The Chauncey
- Noon to 2 p.m.: Drop-in Illustration Workshop with Matt Laux, MERGE
A poetry workshop with Iowa City Poetry and the annual Jr. High Writing Jam with the Iowa Youth Writing Project also will be held from sixth- to eighth-graders from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. Visit www.onebooktwobook.org for information or to register.
On Sunday, student writers from throughout the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids Corridor will be honored. Students were encouraged to submit one page of original writing. Those submissions were evaluated by a team at ACT in Iowa City. In each grade, first through eighth, winners were selected in two categories when a suitable submission was available. They are:
The Write Stuff, which is judged based on language, clarity, structure, and emotional impact.
From the Heart, judged based on creativity, passion, and expressiveness.
The Write Stuff winners:
- First-grader Rakshanaa Gayathri from Lincoln Elementary
- Second-grader EllaJane Rex from Hoover Elementary
- Third-grader Nidhi Saha from Horn Elementary
- Fourth-grader Vance Van Daele III from Willowwind School
- Fifth grader Jillian Newell from Alexander Elemnetary
- Sixth-grader Jadzia Connorridge from Clear Creek Amana Middle School
- Seventh-grader Lorelei Rex from South East Middle School
- Eighth-grader Cora Beland from Northwest Middle School
From the Heart winners:
- First-grader Vera Beal-Gupta from Willowwind School
- Second-grader Lucy Warnecke from Van Allen Elementary
- Third-grader Ayla Keck from Wickham Elementary
- Fourth-grader Arlo Halekas, home-school
- Fifth grader Jocelyn Terrell from Alexander Elementary
- Sixth-grader Bella Siewert from Clear Creek Amana Middle School
- Seventh-grader Mazzy Sleep, home-school
- Eighth-grader Julia Valiga from South East Middle School
In addition, the ACT team identified students in each grade whose writing was deemed worthy of honorable mention. These students also will be recognized as part of the Sunday event:
- First-grader Rayaan Dutta from Willowwind School
- First-grader Sage Kaspal from Willowwind School
- Second-grader Amelia Radke from Willowwind School
- Second-grader Gracia Brummett from Hoover Elementary
- Third-grader Darya Gurovaya from Willowwind Elementary
- Third-grader Ainsley Southard from Willowwind Elementary
- Fifth-grader Iris Gillespie from Willowwind Elementary
- Fifth-grader Joy Tomlinson from East Ridge Elementary
- Sixth-grader Rowan Eynon-Lynch from Willowwind School
- Sixth-grader Gabby Armstorng from Willowwind School
- Seventh-grader Grady Halekas, home-school
- Seventh-grader Iveri Tsilosani from North Central Middle School
For more information about the festival, visit www.onebooktwobook.org.
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