For the seventh year, The Children's Book Festival was a huge success.
Three wonderful authors and 1700 youngsters attended a festival that will
linger on in the memories of all who were fortunate to attend. The host
for the event was Del Mar Community College on April 20, 2007.
Paige Dinn led a wonderful committee of community volunteers who met
over the course of a year to make sure that books, books, and more books
were the focus for the day. Thank you, Paige, for your leadership and vision.
As the day began, buses and children arrived by the hundreds. Dr. Christine Marroquin welcomed them and had them
sign in.
Paige Dinn and Suzel Mendieta keep everything
running smoothly using walkie-talkies, Texas know-how, and boundless energy.
To see Michael Sampson, Shirley Smith-Duke, and
Keith Graves at work with their literature and illustrations kept us
all buoyed and energized. Thank you to these three authors and artists for
their work and for being here with us. Even when they're out of focus, they're
still great.
Dr. Jana Sanders, Dr. Corinne Valadez,
and Dr. Marsha Grace were on hand to share a free book with every child.
That's right. All 1,700 children received a free book for their home libraries.
Students from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi signed each book with
the child's name. Way to go to our loyal and capable university students.
Not only children and teachers were there for this big event, but Dr. Sanders' son was there as well. He was there
as a Del Mar student and took time out of studying to come by and say hello
to his mom.
Finally, Kenja Johnson nearly brought down
the house with her singing, her leadership, and her energy. And right there
with her was a great literacy leader, Mary Christmas.
Thanks to both of these women for their spirit and voice.
Until next year, have some juice, read a great book, and enjoy your
summer.
