Elementary School Thursday

Elementary School Thursday has been postponed.  We will reschedule this event for later in the year.

This year, the Wisconsin Book Festival is expanding its school-age programming to include Elementary School Thursday. This event is the first event dedicated to author programming for the elementary age group.  We are planning programming for grade-school students that combines performance, author programming, and workshops. In the same way that High School Friday has successfully created a venue and opportunity for older teens to interact at and with the festival, “Elementary School Thursday” will generate new programs and attractions for both authors and students to enjoy the festival events.  Pre-registration by middle grade school groups is required.  Events at this year's Elementary School Thursday will include:

A performance by Gustafer Yellowgold: (45 min)

Since his creation by Morgan Taylor in 2005, Gustafer Yellowgold has become an international phenomenon, acclaimed by The New York Times, which described Gustafer as “A cross between ‘Yellow Submarine’ and Dr. Seuss.” Entertainment Weekly praised “...The most infectious original songs. It’s like tapping into some pleasure center in the brain- both adult and kid...absurdly appealing.” “Mint Green Bee” from Gustafer Yellowgold’s Wide Wild World was a Grand Prize Winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. 

Gustafer himself is a friendly creature who came to Earth from the sun and is living out an explorer’s life in a slightly psychedelic version of the Minnesota woods. Gustafer Yellowgold’s Show is a multi-media performance of live music, animated illustrations and storytelling. With its unique crossover appeal, the show has been the wild-card opening act for Wilco and The Polyphonic Spree. Gustafer has appeared off-Broadway in his own productions of Gustafer Yellowgold’s Mellow Sensation and Gustafer Yellowgold’s Infinity Sock. In addition to touring nationally to arts centers, children’s museums, theaters and music venues, Gustafer has ventured abroad for performances in the U.K and even Korea!

A presentation by Susan Apps-Bodilly on her book, ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE: (35 min)

What was it like to attend a one-room school, to be in the same classroom as your older brother or younger sister, or to have your teacher live with your family for part of the school year? In "One Room Schools," Susan Apps-Bodilly chronicles life in Wisconsin's early country schools, detailing the experiences of the students, the role of the teacher, and examples of the curriculum, including the importance of Wisconsin School of the Air radio programs. She describes the duties children had at school besides their schoolwork, from cleaning the erasers and sweeping cobwebs out of the outhouse to carrying in wood for the stove. She also tells what led to the closing of the one-room schools, which were more than just centers of learning: they also served as the gathering place for the community. Susan Apps-Bodilly drew from the research compiled by her father, Jerry Apps, for his book "One-Room Country Schools: History and Recollections." Apps-Bodilly has geared her book toward young readers who will learn what students and their teacher did on cold mornings before the woodstove warmed them up. They also will find out how to play recess games like Fox and Geese and Anti-I-Over and will learn the locations of ten former one-room schools that can be toured. Apps-Bodilly also encourages readers to ask themselves what lessons can be learned from these early schools that have application for today's schools. "One Room Schools" will transport young readers back in time and make their grandparents and others of that generation nostalgic--perhaps even prompting them to share memories of their school days.

An animation demonstration by Julie Mata, author of the Kate Walden Directs series, and the Madison Public Library Media Lab: (35 min)

Julie Mata will discuss the latest book in the Kate Walden Directs series.  Twelve-year-old Kate Walden dreams of becoming a big-time Hollywood director. But finishing her first movie, Night of the Zombie Chickens, is turning into a big-time nightmare! When Kate’s lead actress and BFF ditches her to hang out with the popular crowd, Kate’s movie seems doomed. Even worse, an embarrassing blunder lands her on the Loser list at school. Kate writes and carries out the perfect revenge script on her former best friend, but a hen hit squad seems to have its own diabolical script to ruin both her social life and her film. Kate learns that real life is way more complicated than movies, especially when it comes to friends… and chickens.

Julie and staff from Madison Public Library's Media Lab will then demonstrate techniques and tips that kids can use to make their own movies at home.  The demonstration will feature the tools and techniques used in the library's stop-motion workshops and provide students the knowledge they need to create their own stories.