Write a Picture Book in 8 Steps!

The Avon Free & Simsbury Public Libraries are excited to offer the unique opportunity to take a picture book writing course with Pegi Deitz Shea, two-time winner of the CT Book Award for Children’s Literature. Participants will create a professional children’s picture book manuscript suitable for illustration to share with their families or the world! Participants will be encouraged to draw upon their own experiences and spark their imagination to write a children’s book. Participants will learn skills, including: plotting, characterization, dialogue, and how to workshop and nurture fellow writers. Written feedback will be provided by the teacher and the fun program will build peer relationships, as well intergenerational communication skills.

Please note:

• Participants must be aged 50 or older (due to grant restrictions).
• Participants should be comfortable typing, using email, and attaching documents to emails. 
• Participants should plan to attend 8 sessions and the culminating event, an intergenerational story time, which are on: October 5, 12, 26, November 2, 9, 16 (Tariffville Room), 30 & December 7, 14 at 1-2:30pm at Simsbury Public Library in the Friends of the Simsbury Public Library Program Room, unless otherwise noted. 
  *We appreciate you registering only if you anticipate attending all sessions. 
• Participants should also expect 2-3 hours of work outside of class for revising a draft, etc.

Pegi Deitz Shea began her children’s book writing career in Simsbury in 1987! She is now the author of more than 500 articles, essays, poems, and books for readers of all ages. Her works range from picture books to YA novels; include poetry, fiction, and nonfiction; and often focus on social justice issues. Her picture book biography, Noah Webster: Weaver of Words, and novel, Tangled Threads: A Hmong Girl’s Story, both won the Connecticut Book Award. Her picture book, New Moon, won the Paterson Prize for Children’s Poetry. She has also received awards from the National Council of Teachers of English, International Reading Association, Junior Library Guild, the National Council of Social Studies, and other organizations. Pegi has taught creative writing at UCONN, the Institute of Children’s Literature, the Mark Twain House, and hundreds of workshops across the country. Learn more at www.pegideitzshea.com.

*Funding for this program is provided by a Creative Aging grant from Lifetime Arts in partnership with the CT State Library Division of Library Development and the CT Office of the Arts, Dept. of Economic & Community Development. Advancing Creative Aging in Connecticut is supported by a generous grant from the Pasculano Foundation.