Great Videoconference Opportunity with Literary Legend Lois Lowery

As a children's literacy specialist (yes -- that is my graduate training!), I have a particular affinity for fabulous writing aimed toward children and teens. Quite often, those books resonate with adults as well. My colleagues at HEC-TV in St. Louis have put together a wonderful series of programs with one of my favorite children's literature authors: Lois Lowry.

Author of The Giver, Ms. Lowry has penned more than 20 novels and won the Newbery Medal twice. Lois Lowry told Contemporary Authors that she measures her success as an author by her ability to "help adolescents answer their own questions about life, identity and human relationships."

The series kicks off on October 7th, with the event 'airing' from 11:00 AM ET to 12:00 PM ET. Hope you and your students can take part in this fantastic event!

Here's the 411 from HEC-TV:

In this first of a series of four HEC-TV Live! programs focusing on Lois Lowry’s Newberry Medal winning young adult novel, “The Giver,” students will have the unique opportunity to hear directly from the author herself. Join students from the St. Louis metropolitan area as they ask the author questions about her background and writing style as well as questions about the plot, characters, setting, themes and language of the novel itself. Discussion of “The Giver” will form the core of the program. We recommend students joining us for the program either have already read the novel or be in the process of doing so. Elements of the story including important moments of the plot as well as themes and concepts will be revealed during the program. If you don’t want students to know the entire story before reading it for themselves, you may choose to watch the archive of the program which will be available on our website, http://www.hectv.org.

This series of programs is being produced in conjunction with Washington University in St. Louis and Metro Theater Company of St. Louis as they prepare and present a stage adaptation of the novel to be presented at Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University in January.

Other programs in the series include:

• November 16—Issues and Themes of “The Giver”
• December 9—Performing the Play: Bringing Characters to Life
• January 5—Producing the Play: Bringing the Story to the Stage

These programs will also be available for enrollment through CILC.

Special Note: This October 7 program is available via videoconference and webcast nationwide as a “View Only” opportunity. Students viewing via videoconference or webcast will be able to e-mail questions to the author during the program but will not interact face to face. All other programs in the series will be available as BOTH interactive and view only.

Photo Credit: Image from GrAde Saver