Attention Central MN! This FREE conference is a haven for students who love to read and write. Maria Burnham, Sauk-Rapids Rice High School Media Specialist, is hoping that if a few different schools get together and share a bus, they could share the cost of transportation along with CMLE who has agreed to pay for a portion of the bus fee.  Please contact Maria if you’re interested in attending with students and she will work with you to coordinate details.  Or, please pass this information along to any others you think would be interested.  Maria is willing to do the organizing if you can get the kids!  Call Maria at 320.258.1625, email her at maria.burnham@isd47.org, or find her on Twitter @MariaBurnham4.

Not sure? Read Maria’s account of Teen Lit Con last year….

Looking Back at TeenLitCon 2015!

Let’s face it.  In the K-12 world, everyone loves spring.  Our students have grown and changed since the fall, and the warmer weather has us all dreaming of summer days to come.  For me, one of the reasons I so look forward to the spring is attending the TeenLitCon at Henry Sibley High School.

Last year was the first year I attended the event.  I brought six students with me in a school van, and we made the hour-and-a-half long trek to the southern Metro on a beautiful Saturday morning in May to immerse ourselves in books, writing, and a love of reading.

Upon our arrival, the energy of the place was magnetic!  The Henry Sibley gym was full of enthusiastic teenagers waiting to meet their favorite authors.  The day started with a Q & A panel with E. Lockhart, Matt de la Pena, Gene Luen Yang,

and Gayle Forman.  The rest of the day was a “build your own schedule” of breakout sessions: book signings, keynote speeches by the four featured authors, writing workshops, button-making, poetry writing, “your next read” predictions, illustration tips, and book talks.  I walked away from the day with a bag full of signed books and a renewed energy for teen literature.  My favorite of the day?  Joining in a dance party with Gayle Forman and about a hundred other students.

I’m looking forward to attending the event this year, once again held at Henry Sibley High School on Saturday, May 7^th.  Giving up a Saturday isn’t always easy (especially one in May), but this event is worth it!  The van ride home last year was completely quiet as my students were engrossed in their new books.  Some of my aspiring authors left the day with a few writing tips and opportunities for summer writing camps.  Others were so excited to receive an advanced copy of a book by an author they just met.  No matter the take-away moment for the student, all enjoyed the event and left with memories that will stay with them forever.

Thank you to the metro public libraries for sponsoring such a wonderful, FREE event to teenagers!  Hope you’ll join me in attending TeenLitCon this year!