by Linda Hoke    Warsaw Community Schools

      Recognition and introduction of authors in general is of importance to Warsaw Community Schools’ elementary library patrons.  Recognizing and introducing Indiana authors as special people to students in our classrooms and library media centers is a priority for making the writing process come alive for our students.  Knowing that some of these special people come from Indiana and that Rebecca Castaldi Jones and Rene King Moreno went to school in Warsaw brings the writing even closer for our young students.  Making connections that these special people were born, grew up, went to school, and began writing careers in our state and town allows our students to realize that the same might be true for them as well.  We have also recognized other local authors in our library media centers that write other than children’s literature.

      The author unit in our library media center curriculum acknowledges authors as real people.  We sing “Happy Birthday” to authors in the lower grades, and intermediate students are introduced to the real-life processes that encouraged these people to make writing their choice of work for life.  The goal of lessons in this unit is to make the author real.  Our students are also encouraged in a Young Author’s Conference process and meet an author each year in a convocation that grants them the privilege of meeting “live” authors.  These assemblies regularly demonstrate the writing process and what makes the author “tick.”  We have utilized several Indiana authors in our Young Author’s Conference programs in the last 23 years.  It is true, of course, that when we host authors who live close by, our costs remain at an affordable level.  That is not the only reason we use local talent.  We feel strongly that by utilizing regional talent, we help ensure that the works are well-received; our students identify with the author who knows our area and, in turn, feel pride in realizing they know a “real” author.

      A quiet yet powerful presence is also prevalent in Warsaw’s ten elementary library media centers.  That presence is evident thanks to the Middle Grades Reading Network and the interest in Indiana authors they have demonstrated by providing labels for our books by Indiana natives.  The labels plainly state Hoosier Author with the outline of the state surrounding the words.  Our library media centers have chosen to display this label on the top left front of each book by an Indiana author, so when a student takes the book from the shelf to look at the cover, he or she will be reminded that the book was written or illustrated by a person who either was born in our state or lived here for some time.  To reinforce the use of this label, we also display posters that clearly show the state outline, call attention to the words Hoosier Author, and list both Indiana authors and illustrators.  We have given special recognition to the two included in the list that were raised in Warsaw.  We currently have labeled books displayed around the poster to call attention to some of the authors and encourage circulation of these materials.

      We have quite a list of Hoosier authors in our collections and are happy to show our pride in this way.  Access the Internet and use the Indiana State Library site http://www.statelib.lib.in.us/www/ldo/childrens/> to find the Directory of Indiana Children’s Authors and Illustrators edited by Sara Laughlin.  A complete list of authors and illustrators can be printed and displayed or used to mark the books with the labels provided by the Middle Grades Reading Network.  Write or e-mail the Network to request your free labels and advertise Indiana’s successful authors in any library media center collection.  Then watch Hoosier pride in action.