Ever wonder what, according to the wolf, really happened to Little Red Riding Hood? And the Three Little Pigs – did two of their houses really get blown down?
This summer, the Capital Area Writing Project 2011 Young Writers Academy, June 20-24 at Penn State Harrisburg, will help young children unlock the world of fairytales and become writers in the process.
Instructed by National Writing Project Fellows, the academy is a weeklong enrichment program for young writers of all ages. Previously open only to students in fourth to 12th grades, the academy this year also will offer a writing workshop for those in kindergarten through third grade. “Once Upon a Fractured Fairytale” will explore the elements of fairy tales and how to change them to create a fractured fairy tale – a funny and remixed telling of a traditional story.
Older students may select academy sessions covering different genres, from songwriting to science fiction to poetry. Guest author Jack Gantos, known for his “Rotten Ralph” and “Joey Pigza” books for children, will present a special writing workshop for all academy participants on June 22. Students will receive a copy of one of his books.
Born in Mount Pleasant, Pa., Gantos writes for all ages, from picture books and middle-grade fiction to novels for young adults and adults. According to his website, “The seeds for Jack’s writing career were planted in sixth grade, when he read his sister’s diary and decided he could write better than she could.” A nationally known speaker and writer, he developed graduate programs for children’s book writers at Emerson College (Boston) and Vermont College (Montpelier).
Academy sessions run from 9 a.m. until noon each day.
The Capital Area Writing Project is an outreach effort of Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Behavioral Sciences and Education. For more than 25 years, the organization has been practicing and teaching writing as well as nurturing professional growth, with the goal of creating student writers.
For more information, contact cawp-pa.org, citl.hbg.psu.edu/caw, or 717-948-6657.