This month, there are many opportunities for readers and aspiring authors! The main events in “April is for Authors” start next week: author visits, a book release party, and a trip to the BAM! Festival are all opportunities open to West Boca students.
On April 9th, Karla Zalamar – a West Boca senior – will have a book launch for her debut novel Burden of Power. The book launch will be held in the media center. There will be copies for sale while Karla reads and signs copies of her book.
On the same day, Stephan Kozan (the author who picked Karla as a winner of his flash fiction writing contest last year at BAM!) will be visiting during lunch and seventh period. He will talk about his career (including getting published), his publishing company ReadyAimWrite Kids, and hold another flash fiction contest to pick a new teen author during seventh period! If you don’t have seventh period off, you must be in one of the clubs invited to the author visit or be recommended by an English teacher. For more information, join the google classroom.
Maria Ingrande Mora will also visit the same week. Their author visit will be on the 11th, discussing the writing process for novels and comics, as well as publishing. They will be here for lunch and continue their author visit into sixth period. During lunch and sixth period, they will answer questions and sign books!
BAM! Festival (Books And Music Festival) will be held on Saturday, April 13th, 2024 (the day after prom) at the Mandel Public Library. West Boca is going to the BAM! Festival on a trip organized by Mrs. Cannon that Saturday. The bus will leave at 8:30 AM, so make sure you’re able to attend before signing up.
Some authors featured at BAM! are Aaron Aceves, David Arnold, Maria Ingrande Mora, George M. Johnson, Neal Shusterman, Stephen Kozan, Stacey Stokes, Tyler Whitesides, and Brittany N. Williams. There are a lot more authors attending and holding panels, the full list is available here.
To sign up for any of the activities next week, join the April is for Authors Google Classroom. Sign-ups and forms will both be provided there for the author visits and the trip to the BAM! Festival. For even more information or any questions, see Mrs. Cannon in the media center.
