The gifted students at Oberlin Elementary School have created their own narratives for the Young Author program. And, in a few weeks, the books will be submitted into a contest hosted by the Educational Service Center of Lorain County, said OES Gifted Teacher Ms. Jen Kazmierczak.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for students to be creative and tell a story from their point of view. Students have full control of the characters, genre, as well as the illustrations,” Ms. Kazmierczak said.
Student stories focus on sports, animals, the Titanic, gaming systems, airplanes and even aliens.
Students have been working on their books since January, and soon, they will have the opportunity to participate in “Meet the Author Night” at the Oberlin Public Library. And, if a student would like, they can have a copy of their book placed on the “Young Author Shelf” inside the public library, allowing others to check the book out and read it.
“The display at the Oberlin Public Library is a fabulous connection that this community has and really makes our students unique compared to others,” Ms. Kazmierczak said.
“This program really allows for students to see what an author goes through from start to finish when it comes to publishing a book,” Ms. Kazmierczak said. “And to see the creative side of students, where they get to pick and choose what they share is moving.”
Fourth grader Audriana Jones decided to write about gymnastics.
“It was fun to write about sports, but the hardest part was the edits,” she said.
Another student, Hazel Kessler, explained the process was a bit tedious at times.
“We had to work on drafts, coloring/drawing, typing it out and binding the books too,” Hazel said.
The final event will be the Young Author Night at the ESC on May 15 where parents and students alike can celebrate their child’s accomplishments. The evening will also include “Best of Show” finalists, a table display of student books and an author book signing.
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