By Heather Lusk
Author Margaret Peterson Haddix – known for the teen series “Shadow Children” and “The Missing” – is coming to Zionsville. The author will join teenagers for pizza and a discussion of her books and the writing process on July 23 at 1 p.m. at the Hussey-Mayfield Library.
Students between grades 6-12 or college-aged may register at the teen help desk and will receive their choice of one of two Haddix books when they return the required permission slip. Students may then have their book signed when they meet the author.
Free books are provided whenever an author visits “to give each student the opportunity to get as much out of it as possible,” said Patricia VanArsdale, teen services librarian. She wants everyone to be able to familiarize themselves with the author’s work prior to meeting, but the library only has a limited number of copies available to be checked out.
Selecting authors and books can be an enormous challenge. VanArsdale has to ensure the book will be interesting to older high schoolers while still being age-appropriate for young teens. Then she verifies that the author has books that will appeal to readers in a variety of speeds and levels along with gender preferences. Add to that the challenge of finding an author who is available and within the library’s budget and it’s easy to see why VanArsdale says that author visits are the hardest thing she does.
Roughly every two years teens have the opportunity to meet an author as part of free library programming. Usually, author visits occur during the school year, but the summer timing worked for both Haddix and the library. VanArsdale is hoping that there will be a strong crowd when kids and school responsibilities aren’t competing.
“I really hope that the kids take away the excitement of reading,” she said. Meeting an author provides a unique opportunity for the teens to speak with “the person who put their blood, sweat and tears working on a project.”
“I’m super pumped,” said VanArsdale. “It’s going to be a great time. We never disappoint and we’re not going to start.”
