Vintage Student, Nadia, a 4th grader in Ms. Pacheco’s class, was the winner of the FOCAL essay contest this year, along with an 8th grader from Sepulveda Middle School. The book they reviewed was Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko. The historical fiction story is about Lizzie, the 13 year old daughter of a doctor, living in San Francisco in 1900 at the beginning of the plague. As it follows her adventures, and the town’s reaction to the possible medical scare, it touches on racial, social and gender inequalities of the time in a very thought provoking manner. Lizzie is unstoppable as she pursues her goals with kindness, intelligence and much inner drive. For a girl, she is one mighty role model.
In the essay contest, students were asked to write about the book, what part of the story or character “stuck with them”, what they learned about the main character and how they would feel if they would meet the author.
FOCAL (Friends of Children and Literature) chooses a book to honor each year and schools or individual kids all over are given the opportunity to enter the essay contest.
As part of her award, Nadia, along with her teacher, Ms. Judith Pacheco, her parents, and her sister, attended an award luncheon on Saturday at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
Nadia had the honor to sit at the table with the author, Ms. Gennifer Choldenko, of “Al Capone Does My Shirts” fame, chit chat, and exchange impressions about the book. She had the opportunity to read her essay in front of everyone and received a signed book from the author. Ms. Choldenko also spoke to the crowd about her beginnings as a writer, what inspired her to write a historical fiction novel and how the book and characters came to be. It was a very inspiring and unique opportunity to get into an author’s brain and find out how are characters created and developed. It was also a lesson in perseverance as we discovered the many revisions it took to make the story flow like it did.
Nadia used this opportunity to get a book signed by the author for our Librarian Ms. Forbes, who encouraged participation in this contest in previous years.
A puppeteer presented the author with a rendition of what Lizzie would look like which was complete with her favorite book on Mucus. The FOCAL award tradition is to make a puppet to bring to life the main character of the chosen book. These puppets and the books they represent are on display in the Children’s section of the Central Library, a historical beauty and must see in its own right.
In the essay contest, students were asked to write about the book, what part of the story or character “stuck with them”, what they learned about the main character and how they would feel if they would meet the author.
FOCAL (Friends of Children and Literature) chooses a book to honor each year and schools or individual kids all over are given the opportunity to enter the essay contest.
As part of her award, Nadia, along with her teacher, Ms. Judith Pacheco, her parents, and her sister, attended an award luncheon on Saturday at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
Nadia had the honor to sit at the table with the author, Ms. Gennifer Choldenko, of “Al Capone Does My Shirts” fame, chit chat, and exchange impressions about the book. She had the opportunity to read her essay in front of everyone and received a signed book from the author. Ms. Choldenko also spoke to the crowd about her beginnings as a writer, what inspired her to write a historical fiction novel and how the book and characters came to be. It was a very inspiring and unique opportunity to get into an author’s brain and find out how are characters created and developed. It was also a lesson in perseverance as we discovered the many revisions it took to make the story flow like it did.
Nadia used this opportunity to get a book signed by the author for our Librarian Ms. Forbes, who encouraged participation in this contest in previous years.
A puppeteer presented the author with a rendition of what Lizzie would look like which was complete with her favorite book on Mucus. The FOCAL award tradition is to make a puppet to bring to life the main character of the chosen book. These puppets and the books they represent are on display in the Children’s section of the Central Library, a historical beauty and must see in its own right.
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