The 2019 winner
of the William G. Wilson Maryland Author Award is children’s author Mary
Amato. Ms. Amato is an author of YA books, poetry, plays, and songs,
and her books won numerous awards including The Society of Children’s Book
Writers and Illustrators National Magazine Writing Award and Nonfiction
Book Grant, the Beehive Book Award, the Buckeye Children’s Book Award, and
the Arizona Young Readers Award. She is also the founder of The
HIVE, The Brown Bag for Creatives, and the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. Arts
Salon and co-founder of the Firefly Shadow Theatre. Ms. Amato works
with numerous non-profits in Maryland and teaches workshops on writing and the
creative process. She also gives ukulele lessons.
Starting with a
song written just for the award luncheon, Ms. Amato shared that when she was a
child she knew every inch of her public library, where her “friends in fiction”
would put images in her head. After the luncheon, Ms Amato signed copies
of her books and chatted with many of the attendees. For her afternoon
program, she used examples of her works and those of other children’s authors
for her discussion on how to incorporate themes and songs into programs for
children. Passing out several of her own ukuleles, Ms. Amato discussed
how useful the instrument can be not only for singing with children, but also
how easy they are for children to learn to play and how suited they are for
little hands.
As part of Ms.
Amato’s lively and fun program, attendees worked together to re-write “Row, Row
your Boat” as a library based song, and then the group sang their creation
“Read, Read, Read your book” while accompanying themselves on the
ukuleles.
Lisa R. Kenyon
SD&T
Recommended (by
me) reading:
Open
Mic Night at Westminster Cemetery Sixteen-year-old
slam-poet Lacy Brink wakes up dead—and confused—in Westminster Cemetery. It’s
the job of Sam, a young soldier who died in 1865, to help her adjust to the
strict rules of the afterlife. Lacy proposes hosting an open mic; and when Sam
and the other ghosts finally express themselves, surprising emotions emerge in
this darkly hilarious tale about truth, forgiveness, and love. Contains
explicit language and mature themes so probably best for mid-teens and up.
Edgar
Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook In
this humorous and touching mystery, fifth grader Edgar Allan tries to catch a
thief who leaves poetry instead of fingerprints at the crime scenes.
Recommended for ages 8-12.
Note: although these are YA books, both can be enjoyed by adults
