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Age Guideline 11-13, 13+/YA
About the Event
Join bestselling author Kwame Alexander in conversation with Janet Smyth about his award-winning verse novels The Crossover, Booked and Rebound. Fast-paced novels that fuse sport and poetry to tell heartfelt stories about young people’s lives. Hear Kwame read from and discover more about Kwame’s forthcoming new series The Door of No Return which has recently been adapted into a TV series for Disney+. An opportunity to hear from a brilliant US author whose work connects with young people everywhere.
About the Author
Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, publisher, and New York Times Bestselling author of 36 books, including SWING, BECOMING MUHAMMAD ALI, co-authored with James Patterson, REBOUND, which was shortlisted for prestigious UK Carnegie Medal, The Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor-winning picture book, THE UNDEFEATED, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, and his Newbery medal-winning middle grade novel, THE CROSSOVER. A regular contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, Kwame is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, The Coretta Scott King Author Honor, Three NAACP Image Award Nominations, and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award. In 2018, he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he co-founded. He is the writer and executive producer of THE CROSSOVER TV series on Disney+. The fall of 2022 will see the release of book one of a new trilogy, THE DOOR OF NO RETURN.
Website: www.kwamealexander.com
Twitter: @kwamealexander
Instagram: @kwamealexander
Facebook: @KwameAlexanderBooks
Teacher Resources (Provided by School Library Association)
Co-ordinate with the PE dept for their views on what sports they feel would make exciting novels.
Discussion points for students:
· Verse novels are obviously a type of poetry. What do you think are the advantages of writing in this way?
· What other forms of poetry are there? Use your school library to find examples of each form.
· There are other verse novels you may enjoy such as
o Sharon Creech’s Love that Dog
o Sarah Crossan’s Toffee, Moonrise and One
o Manjeet Mann’s Run, Rebel, Run and The Crossing
o Louise Reid’s Gloves Off
o Coral Rumble’s A little light
Does your school library have any other verse novels?
· A Graphic novel is a different format from a non-graphic, but some books also benefit from adaptations for TV or Film, making them accessible to a new audience and these can vary. Discuss in class adaptions you feel have worked for you. There may be differences of opinion.
About the Festival Partner
This event has been programmed by Bath Children’s Literature Festival
Bath Festivals is a charity that brings you the Bath Children’s Literature Festival, Europe’s largest dedicated children’s literature festival with a vibrant array of talks and activities for children. They are also responsible for The Bath Festival in the summer which bring the city alive with a celebration of music and books in the beautiful venues and spaces of the world heritage city. By creating innovative and diverse programmes, their festivals inspire and provide unique experiences for residents and visitors to Bath and surrounding areas. Their year-round creative learning programme of hands-on music and literature projects gives children and young people opportunities to gain real-world experience, building their inner confidence and improving communication skills through the arts.