Stories came alive through discussions held in advance of the Ridgewood High School and Eisenhower Public Library’s LitWorks Teen Book Fest.
Fans of reading showed up at the library Saturday, Jan. 24, to participate in a live chat with one of the authors who’ll speak at the event, Cinda Williams Chima.
Chima, author of the Seven Realms and Heir Chronicles book series, is one of six writers splitting time Saturday, April 18, between the library and the high school to meet with fans.
Coordinator Jennette Rodriguez, Ridgwood High School librarian, noted other chats were planned in advance of the April celebration, LitWorks, which brings together authors and readers to discuss ideas.
“LitWorks was something we’d both been wanting to do for a while,” explained fellow coordinator, Penny Blubauch, outreach and youth adult librarian at Eisenhower.
“Our first try was a half-day event with 80 attendees,” she said.
Last year’s festival attracted more than 400 people.
“I think it’s successful because Jennette talks it up at school and I talk it up her,” Blubauch said.
The library also will host live chats at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, and March 21.
Program organizers also reach out to the grammar schools.
“When asked how she got started writing, Chima said she caught the bug when her third-grade teacher framed one of her stories.
“I thought I might be good at this.”
Explaining her writing style, Chima said she usually writes start to finish and then does “a lot” of revisions.
“And I move things around,” Chima told the group gathered at the library.
Much to many English teachers’ dismay, Chima admitted she didn’t write outlines.
“It doesn’t work for me somehow,” she said.
She said she wished she could, because writing without one is like “falling off a cliff.”
Aseel Hussein gushed about Chima’s “Seven Realms” book series.
“Reading takes you to another place,” Hussein explained. “You can put yourself in other people’s shoes.”
And reading also helps with schoolwork.
“It helps you read faster,” she said, “which is good for testing.”