Hundreds of students and families visited the Capitola Mall on April 30, 2016, for the annual Student Authors’ Fair. The Student Authors’ Fair (SAF), organized by the Santa Cruz County Reading Association with sponsorship of the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, is a special celebration of the talents of elementary school students from throughout Santa Cruz County. This book fair features hundreds of titles, in a multitude of formats, written and illustrated by children themselves.
Hall District Elementary School, a school within Pajaro Valley Unified School District, proudly displayed a book of how-to texts, explaining how to draw different animals. Mintie White Elementary School kindergarten students, also from Pajaro Valley Unified, wrote informational books in Spanish describing the characteristics and behavior of different animals. Soquel Elementary School displayed “All About…” books and Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School had restaurant reviews as well as stories.
One highlight for fair attendees was the Author’s Chair. Hosted by San Lorenzo Valley Elementary School teacher Janet Stahl, student authors were invited to read their books to the assembled crowd and then discuss their ideas and writing process with Ms. Stahl.
The pride and joy of authorship and reading were evident at all the school tables, staffed by parents and school staff volunteering their time on a Saturday. Over twenty schools participated in this year’s fair. Linda Muehlhauser of Brook Knoll Elementary School, in Scotts Valley, once again served as coordinator of the event.
At the end of the day, Santa Cruz County Reading Association President Lauren Pomerantz, a teacher at Del Mar Elementary School in Live Oak, commented on how pleased she was to once again sponsor this showcase for the talents of student authors in Santa Cruz County. For more information on the Santa Cruz County Reading Association, the Student Authors’ Fair or to sign your school up to participate in 2017, please visit the Santa Cruz County Reading Association’s website.