Celebration of Authors is sponsored by WINTRUST BANK
Purchase Tickets!
It’s both our annual gala AND a family-friendly, interactive festival!
Silent Auction! Games! Food + Drinks! Open Bar for adult guests! 360 Photo Booth! And of course, LIVE performances of stories written by our students for the 2024/25 School Year!
Attire: Fancy Schmancy where you can come Fancy – dressed to the nines in your best attire. Or you can come Schmancy – with a silly hat or funny outfit that expresses YOU!
You can bid on our amazing Silent Auction Prizes at the event, or remotely from anywhere! Silent Auction items include: A Trip to Mexico with Vidanta Resorts, A Sailing Excursion, An At-Home Dungeons & Dragons Session, Dining Packages, Sports Tickets, Theatre Tickets, and MORE! Stay tuned for a preview and get those bids ready!
This is the most affordable & most FUN Gala in town!
Tickets include food, drinks, a show, and activities for all ages!
Adult Regular Priced Tickets —$75
Youth Regular Price Tickets, ages 4 to 15 —$50
Children 3 years of age and under can attend for FREE
Mary Winn Heider is the author of over 30 books for kids, including THE LOSERS AT THE CENTER OF THE GALAXY, THE UNICORNS WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS, and THE STUPENDOUS SWITCHEROO series, which she co-created with Chad Sell. Mary Winn’s very first novel, THE MORTIFICATION OF FOVEA MUNSON, was based on her time working in a real life cadaver lab, and now that it’s a musical. In a School Library Journal column a few years ago, Betsy Bird wrote, “In an era of information overload, Mary Winn Heider is the author who will lead us through the pandemonium into the light.” Mary Winn’s books have been on state lists, appeared on Bank Street Best Books, received Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection status, been long-listed for the Edgar Award, and landed on Indies Introduce and Indie Next lists.But before all of that, Mary Winn was a company member with Playmakers Lab, where she spent a decade pretending to be a chicken, an astronaut, and a princess, and sometimes, all three at once.
This event is a fundraiser to support PML’s outstanding creative writing programming in partnership with Chicago Public Schools. 100% of the tickets proceeds will support PML classes! For 28 years PlayMakers Laboratory has served Chicago Public School students by providing a creative writing residency program aimed primarily at elementary schools. Our company of over 60 teaching artists utilize creative drama and storytelling to promote literacy and self esteem during our in-school residencies and park district programming. Each year, our programs serve more than 4,000 young people across Chicago. In our 6 week writing residencies, a whopping 88% of students improve writing scores by at least one level over the course of our residencies. Plus, 100% of classroom teachers report that our program supports their student’s writing and improves confidence and self-esteem.
By Daviaynna H., New Sullivan Elementary
Once upon a time, Ms. Harrington was cooking dinner in her mansion. Her maid was cooking fried food. Ms. Harrington was in one kitchen. Her maid, Elizabeth, was in the other. They kept running back and forth to get different ingredients. Ms. Harrington was making a cake and Elizabeth was making fried chicken. Ms. Harrington finished her cake first because Elizabeth kept having to let guest in for the party. “Sit here. Sit there. Put this party stuff up.” Elizabeth finished her chicken by putting BBQ on it, and brought out the cake. Ms. Harrington came out in a swim suit and said “Welcome to the Swimming Pool Party.” The guest put on their swimming suits. Everybody kept dancing, having pop, and blasted the music. It was a huge party over 1,000 people came. They ate all the food. Jessica brought 13 kids to the party and Ms. Harrington said, “Put the kids in the playroom! I don’t want to hear them screaming. The kids got taken to the playroom and the party went back to being great. The End
By Xitlaly G., Loyola Park After-School Program
Once there was a girl who cried blood. And her name was ocean. She had a special key that let her enter all the mountain tops. But her boyfriend Blue broke up with her and she went to the mountain tops and she started to cry but she cried blood. She tried to hold it in because she thought she would fall out of the mountain tips she down stairs and she went somewhere with her friends so they could calm her down but then her friend said “Blue just texted me this message” but her friends didn’t know she cried blood. She cried blood, everybody saw her and started running out of the restaurant. She was so sad she ran back to her mountain top. Then she saw Blue, and she cried more blood and she couldn’t see him and then Blue pushed her down the mountain top then Blue started crying blood. But little did he know that her spirit was still there. Now she waits to see Blue in her mountain top so she could push him. THE END.
By Jasmine J., Dixon Elementary School
On my 10 th birthday I had a love themed birthday party. I invited my friends and my cousins. There was this one cute boy there that just popped out of nowhere. Nobody else noticed him but me. He had the most expensive leather jacket in his hand and he held it out to me. It was the most beautiful purple jacket I’ve ever seen. It was like he was read my mind. I asked “What is your name?” He turned around, his face covered . Then he flipped his hair and said, “My name is whatever you want it to be.” He was so my league! He was about 12, But I didn’t care, so I replied, “I don’t know,,, maybe Justin?” He said “That is the perfect name for me!” Justin took my hand and we danced, laughed, talked, cried, and hugged eachother. Close. Really close. When, when it was time to cut the cake, Justin said, “I have to go now, babe” “No! You can’t leave. What about…! Oh nothing” I said. “What’s up, I’ll be back soon.” Justin said. “Ok” I replied. Justin leaned over and gave me a…KISS! Oh! My dreams came true! To be continued… THE END.
By Aisya, Loyola Park Blue
Have you ever dreamed of sailing a ship to the stars? Or meeting a mermaid that swims through the sky? You might think these are all childish dreams, but they are the work of the dancing cow.
The dancing cow is the one who gives you the best adventures. Have you ever had a tea party with mermaids? Or had a dance off with a Fairy? Yes, yes you have! You just don’t remember any of these things, because you wake up.
First you sail to the land of adventure. Remember anything can happen in a dream. You will sail with 3 little men, called the Oooooh men. They will take you to the land of adventure. From there, the dancing cow does his magic. Only the chosen ones could even get a glimpse of the dancing cow!
Where does he go, you ask? Now that’s a question to think about! Why the sudden interest in the dancing cow? Have I intrigued you? There’s a ship called the Flying Betty. Ever heard of it? No you haven’t! That’s the dancing cow’s flying ship. It collects lightning to the DREAMER’S WOROKSHOP.
That’s where the people manufacture your dreams and thoughts. Now, go rest, and meet the dancing cow.
By Patryk, Karolina, Max L, Darlene, Mia, Bella, Yael, Kinzie Elementary School
Once there was a guy named Jeff who hated soup. He hated it 100% one day he met a guy named Jackie chan. Who taught him the way of the soup, like broccoli soup, chicken soup, tomato soup, and pepper soup. Jeff tasted all of the soups. He loved some, he hated some and even fought the ones he hated. So two years later he found the courage to order soup at a restaurant. He like the soup so much that he opened his own soup restaurant in Philadelphia. Two months later his soup became so famous he starred in his own cooking show called the ways of the soup. The End.
By Karolina C., Avondale-Logandale School
Salen del pueblo para poder darle una nueva vida a su familia.
Y hacen cosas para que la policía no los maltrate por ser Mexicanos.
No son impactantes. Son pobres. A penas compran para comer y mandar dinero a su familia, dinero para
su madre, su padre y sus hermanos.
EL FIN. (FIN)
English translation:
Immigrant Men by Karolina C
They leave their villages to give their families a new life.
And they do things so the police doesn’t abuse them for being Mexican.
They’re not showy. They’re poor. The just buy enough to eat and send money to their famiies, money
for their mother, father and brothers.
By Shari S., Cather School, Super 7 Girls Program
Everyone knows that Obama is and has been President since 2008. But it isn’t easy being President. Bush always sneaks whooping cushions into Barack’s seat. It made a big fart noice like ftft. All the guards would laugh like Bush, then Barack would throw a banana pudding in his face, and the guard would spit it at him (quapov) but it didn’t smell so good. Barrack would laugh until Michelle asks where her homemade banana pudding is but Barrack would always say the guards ate it. And she would kick them both (Phow). At the end of the day barrack would get in the elevator and would really fart and killed everyone. Sasha said daddy you stink. Everyone died so Barrack lived in an apartment until he farted in this sleep and died. THE END.
By Kassandra, Josue, Tony, Jaivin, Miley, Nate, & Thomas, Prieto Math and Science Academy
One dark Halloween night Brad was in a haunted house in chi town. A vampire who he thought was fake jumped out at him. But it wasn’t fake and the vampire bit Brad and sucked his blood. He ran with dizziness to his mom’s house. He was scared. His mom put two little pieces of toilet paper on the bites but the vampire followed him. The vampire bit his mom! She was too weak and turned into a vampire. Brad decided to bite the vampire to get his blood back. He sucks all the blood out of the vampire, the vampire turned all white and died. Brad got really dizzy, his face turned red, and he died. The mom is still a vampire and kept turning people into vampires into the whole world was a vampire. To be continued! THE END.
By Khamaria C., Dixon Elementary School
Once upon a time there was a witch named nasty Bella she once lived I a bright home the time flew past as she got older and older he house got darcker and darcker she never cleaned it. I was filled of old sunflower seeds, Bananna pells, dusty brooms, spoiled and rotten eggs. Her house had no A.C. She could breathe but no one else could her cat did nearly 5 years ago. Form no air to breathe. When ever someone tried to come in her house she’d hurt them with her special knife until January 11, 1995 she decided to clean her house she cooked and brang family she wanted to change her life style. The end.
By Everett R., Loyola Park After-School Program
The Man who was supposed to be president, Albert Olive, put his hand on his head and said, “This is not going as planned, this is not going as planned.” Then he shouted “This is not going as planned!” Then his assistant, Oliver, tried to get all the people to vote for Mr. Olive. He tried to convince the people saying “Please! Pick this nice person”. So the people said “OK.” But some of them lied, and Mr. Olive became second in command. THE END.
