March 17, 2011

Young Adult Author Series concludes April 1-2

The 2010-11 Harding University Young Adult Author Series will wrap up April 1-2, 2011, with award-winning young adult author Sarah Weeks.

Weeks is the author of more than 50 picture books and novels for children and young adults and is best known for her 2004 Parents’ Choice Gold medal winner, SO B. IT, a fictional young adult novel that details the identity search of a young girl raised by a mother who is mentally challenged and a caring neighbor who suffers from agoraphobia.

Of her 30 picture books, some well-known titles include Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash and Crocodile Smile as well as two new publications, Sophie Peterman Tells the Truth, and Woof, A Love Story.

Weeks currently lives in New York and helped found the Author’s Readers Theatre, a group of authors that performs dramatic staged readings across the country. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the writing program at the New School University in New York City.

Sponsored by Harding’s Graduate Reading Programs, the Young Adult Author series gives teachers and students an opportunity to hear firsthand from accomplished writers. The informative workshops also help teachers connect with authors who are part of their classroom curriculum.

The series is presenting four weekend conferences during the 2010-11 school year. Each conference includes three discussion sessions and book signings. The cost is $125 for one event, $100 each for two events, and $75 each for three or four events. Registration fees include Friday night dinner with the author, continental breakfast on Saturday and author information packets. If students attend any three of the conferences, they may receive three hours of graduate level credit from Harding for $375.

For more information, please contact the Harding Graduate Reading Programs at 501-279-5107 or e-mail YAAS.harding@gmail.com. Space is limited, and spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis.