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 Amari, Marayah, Amiyah, Hamilton Park
Heather, Danielle, and Bella are going to a party. They are in high school. They went to meet their friends. Their parents don’t know. They ask, they say no. They decide to sneak out. They have to jump out the 2nd story window. They land, but they forgot the dress. They go back up but the parents catch them. They are grounded and their phones are taken away. The next day they apologize and say that they’ll do all the chores for the next month. They go to another party. The End.
By Machenzie, Anthony, Symone, Nijeer, Faith, Chloe, Nevah, Brownlee, Austin Town Hall Park
One day Ariana Grande was on tour in Alabama. She was going to New York next, while she was there, she met a unicorn named Bella Que Pasa. They decided to go to Target to get fruit, Starbucks, and to look for boyfriends. While in line at Starbucks, a big, stinky, blehhh troll came up and took Ariana’s purse. Bella Que Pasa said “Ahh! Why did you take the purse?” Ariana Grande started singing “thank you, next” and ran after the troll and got her purse back and bought her and Bella Que Pasa Hubba Bubba, material girl pink drinks, and they lived happily ever after. The End.
By Olive, Talia, Vivienne, Indian Boundary Park
One day, Monica was selling their bee themed jewelry at a street fair, but nobody was buying any jewelry because nobody liked bees. They left their stand to go and ask the customer what they would rather buy instead, and everybody said flower themed jewelry. But when they got back to their stand, all their jewelry was stolen! They went around and looked for the thief and asked if anybody had seen a person with a big box of bee themed jewelry. They saw the thief but the thief got into a getaway car and drove away. The vendor called the police, who said that the thief was probably from another town where people liked bees. They gave up on the bee jewelry because nobody liked it anyways. Next year, Monica brought flower jewelry that people wanted to buy, but it got stolen again. The End.
By Tennille, Anthony, Farrah, Jaylah, and Renson, South Shore Cultural Center
Once, there was a mother named Jen, who lived in a Chicago apartment. She had sextuplets, and they were all 13. She was struggling because her kids all wanted to experience things like iPhones products, but she didn’t have a job. She applied for an accountant job because she had her masters degree, and she got the job and she made $100 an hour, but she worked 7am-9pm. But her kids were getting mad because she was staying late and she was almost getting evicted. She talked with her kids to make sure they know why she was working late, and she met someone at the bank who was very rich and they married. Years later, her kids all went to college, she has a huge mansion, and Jen and her husband then had each other for the life they had built together. The End.
By Khloe, Zharri, Jennifer, Zigah, Linnaea, Taraji, Treasure, Douglass Park
Shanaya is a kid at a school park. She really really really wants an iPhone 13. She asked her mom for it but she said no, so she went to the mall. She has no money so she steals her moms money to go to the store. The store people say you’re 11. She hides in the store. When it’s dark, she takes the iPhone 13. The End.
By Penelope, Scarlett, Olevnnea, Delaila, Daman, Benjamin, Protrawski Park
Fire Bomb was human who liked fire. He was a super hero that had fire on him. Fire Bomb lived in the woods, that has flowers, tree, and animals. Fire Bomb was very thirsty, he was eating his lunch of fruit, bacon, hot cheetos and other spicy food. The spicy food gave him powers, but made him thirsty. He couldn’t drink water because it put out his power. But, he could drink apple juice, gatorade, coca cola, sprite, and sunny D. Before going back to the forrest, he went to petco to buy a pet dragon that breathed fire, that he named Dragon Cutie. Fire Bomb and Dragon Cutie went to McDonald’s and got fries and a big mac and lived happily ever after. The End.
By Giovanny S, 4th Grade, Columbia Explorers Academy
Dear mom, I want my own house. First I wont make a mess and it will be peaceful. Second because I could have my owned room and how many pets I want. And finally I get my own car I want I can have even a party. In conclusion I want not to wake me up at 6:00am. The End.
By Melanie L, 4th Grade, Columbia Explorers Academy
—- Dear Parents, I want my own room because when you get me a dog a want to have a big space to play when the dog. I also want a room because it will be cool if I have my own room to play and to play if i have like a dog. It will be cool to if I got the type of dog I want but one thing it super expensive to pay. CONCLUSION Plis parent I want a dog because a bore at the house and I want something to play with and plis parent. The end.
By Humberto V, Avondale-Logandale Elementary
Everything was washing hands. Every day you will wash your hands. Until one day I got home and I saw this bottle and it said no need to wash hands and you could use a little of this and you will get your hands clean. It was crazy someone invented this thing called handitizer. I got shocked no more soap just squirt and rub. One day while I was sleeping I heard a noise. I woke up to see what it was. I saw this green glowing light. I thought it was a UFO so I got my camera to catch the aliens. But it wasn’t aliens it was a UFO filled with bottles of handitazer. No one was around do I went inside the UFO. I saw their plans to destroy planet earth by washing their brains and make them kill themselves. I saw a red button to make me go to anywhere I want. I went to the army. I got a super bomb and went to the UFO. Then I exploded it. But I died and then I woke up. The End.
By Brandon, Layla, Kristen , Joey, Jamia, Carter, Ashley, & Akeem, Tuley Park Summer of Stories
Once upon a time Lise and Jaxx were playing on the swing. Suddenly, a big evil ice dragon named Jon Jon Killa Frost appeared. “I’m taking you to my ice cave that’s minus 500 degrees. That can kill you!”-Jon Jon said. “No you will not!” said Lise and Jaxx and pulled out a giant sword and hammer with fire powers. “Not so fast” Jon Jon said and brought his friends a fire dragon and poison ivy dragon to stop them. Thinking fast, Lise and Jaxx took out a grappling hook and got on a tree. The dragons didn’t know how to fly and were stuck on the ground. Suddenly, Valkin the superhero crashes and says “It’s time to teach you a lesson” and pulls out a magical poison ivy, frost, and fire knife. The hero slays the poison ivy and frost dragon but the fire dragon tries to get away. But Lise and Jaxx team up together to stop the fire dragon. The End.
