Emporia welcomes William Allen White Children’s Book Award winners Oct. 10

Authors of this year’s two William Allen White Children’s Book Award winners will be spending Saturday, Oct. 10 in Emporia, attending the celebration and ceremony that accompanies the long-running recognition program for literature aimed at young readers. Approximately 800 students from across Kansas are expected to attend.

The winners of this year’s awards, Sara Pennypacker, author of “Clementine,” and Jennifer Roy, who wrote “Yellow Star,” will participate in autograph sessions, meet with students, and receive their awards during a ceremony Saturday afternoon in Emporia’s William Lindsay White Auditorium.

Each year, approximately 50,000 third- through eighth-graders take part in naming the two White Award-winning books. “Clementine” was the choice of third through fifth graders, while “Yellow Star” won the sixth through eighth grade award. The books were among a list of 24 chosen by a selection committee for the students to consider.

Activities for the 57th annual celebration begin Friday, Oct. 9, with read-ins and sleepovers for students at the Emporia Recreation Center, 313 W. Fourth. Students will have an opportunity to meet and talk with the visiting authors during the read-ins. Space for this event is limited to 100 students and adults.

Saturday’s activities move to the second floor of Emporia State University’s Memorial Union. There, participants can purchase copies of the winning books and have them autographed by the authors from 8:00 to 11 a.m. Other souvenirs of the event will also be available for purchase.

Students will also take guided tours of the ESU campus, stopping off at the one-room schoolhouse and visiting the Peterson Planetarium. In addition, the Schmidt Museum of Natural History in Breukelman Hall and Johnston Geology Museum in Cram Hall will be open for visits.

The authors and celebration participants will join a parade from ESU to the William Lindsay White Auditorium at 12:15 p.m., preceding the awards ceremony at the auditorium at 1 p.m. There, Pennypacker and Roy will be presented with their White Award medals and will answer questions from the audience.

Tickets for the awards ceremony are $5 per person. Tickets will be available at the door at White Arena or they may be purchased in advance by calling 620-341-5208. More information is available on the William Allen White Children’s Book Awards website www.emporia.edu/libsv/wawbookaward.

The White Awards Program is directed by ESU and is supported by the Trusler Foundation. The program was founded by Ruth Carver Gagliardo, a children’s literature specialist, to honor the memory of one of the state’s most distinguished citizens by encouraging Kansas schoolchildren to read and enjoy good books.

Last Updated October 5, 2009>