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 Heaven T. & Cormia H., Super 7 Program at Cather Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: Trillionaire, Billionaire
Setting: Mall
B: Let’s go shop at the mall.
T: We finna ball out (Bop)
B: Yasse shawty.
T: First we gon buy some new shoes.
B: Then we finna go buy some truu’s.
T: We just going to throw money at every body.
B: Shawty you trippin.
T: We rich so it don’t matter (bouncing)
T: and I’m not a shawty (with a pouty face)
B: I’m just being sarcastic with yo lil ugly (Hand motion)
T: It doesn’t matter when you’re a trillionaire.
B: SO what (Jealous face)
THE END.
By Kinnaria D., Super 7 Program at Cather Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Nikki Manaj = (walking in) hey fans let’s bring out Condurre tonight
Condurre = (Walking and talking) howdy y’all I like to be on this show
The crowd = the crowd (mumbling) is she a country person
Condurre = (Loud) “Saying leave me alone im new to this show”
Nikki Minaj = Crowd give Condurre respect ain’t that’s right
The crowd = NO NO NO NO!
Nikki Minaj & Condurre: “Sayin bring out Jerry Springer now”
Jerry Springer saying could I bring two girls out here tonight to fix their problems their name is anyia and Arieel C’mon out Ladies (Yelling)
THE END.
By Genise Y., Learn Campbell Academy
That's Weird, Grandma
Once opon a time there was a princess she lived in a magical palace in Alaska. The girl father and mother went to Chicago to visit their family this girl was supposed to go, but she ran away. The parents searched and searched but they couldn’t find her. Years and years went by final 15 years came and the still couldn’t find the princess one day a magical angel came to the place, the angel said to the king and queen I will grant you one wish and the mother and father wished for money instead of there daughter. The angel said you don’t want to wish for something more valube so the angel gave them there wish. She gave them money. But 2 days later there daughter showed up she asked why didn’t you wish for me. The said what. And that’s when they regrated wishing for money. THE END.
By Preleah, Elijah, Michael, Tyeler, Jakaya, & Keldric, Learn Campbell Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Once there was a man named Big Sean Brown and his friend Cheryl Brown. She was also his wife. One night they went to dinner and a movie. They saw “The Haunted House.” They had popcorn. They went to a party at a big hotel. Cheryl didn’t want to walk in the hall because of the movie, and the man acted like he wasn’t scared but he really was. That night he had nightmares about the movie and woke his wife up. Cheryl was tired of him being scared so she left and smacked the door in his face. Sean Brown cried and said, “What you do that for?” He said, “Don’t leave me and I’ll never be scared again.” THE END.
By Rachel D., Graham Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Every Dream I have my dad appears he started to appear after 12:00 three days after he died and he appears and we always start off dancing and he sings a song about loving me he always tries to remind me but when he goes to say I love you I had to wake up at 6:30 and get ready for the day and I always think about it and last Sunday he got to tell me everything like I love you, your safe, don’t cry, will see each other again, and we remember each other using are hearts, that’s what my dreams are.
THE END.
By Nakiya B., Super 7 Program at Cather Elementary
Holidays
Halloween
That's Weird, Grandma
It was Halloween
The day people were scary people
One day a kid went to a haunted house
And he knocked on the door
and the door went click click
and then the door opened
and a monster came out
And it was big and I had long legs
I run as fast as I can
And when i got home I went upstairs
And sat on my bed
But the monster was there
So I ran to my mom
And she
was not there
So I run outside and see a ghost
With a big pumpkin head
And I lock all the doors and windows
But the monster, he is there
So I run back to the kitchen
And I saw the ghost again
And I got some food and went back upstairs
And locked-my-room door and then…
I ate a candy bar
And drank some pop
And the next day
I unlock my door
Went to mom’s room
And she there
So Halloween
had past!
I went to the bathroom
and brushed my teeth
and washed my face
and cut off the sink
water
and it went *shink*
And I went out
of the bathroom
I went to the kitchen
And got some cereal
and then I ate it
and then I washed my bowl
and I went upstairs
but my mom wasn’t there.
And I was so scared
I was shaking like…like
THE END.
By Fontayza B., Super 7 Program at Cather Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was a little pig named Jill was a kind little pig who had to watch over his family members. He had 5,000 family members they wanted to eat all of his crab legs. They started to eat his crablegs. They started to eat his crablegs and he got mad. Jill pulls a rope and traped all of his family members and me made them as angels of spider webs and when he were done trapping he started eating the crab legs and said, “ha ha ha ha ha!!” When his family members so that Jill was getting hanged and they sad they songed a song. THE END.
By Jacari R., Super 7 Program at Cather Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
Who are you? Memaid/Ariel
Where are you from? Ocean/Clean ocean
What have you come to talk about?
I hate when I have to go to school to get my daughter. I believe her father should pick her up.
My first reason is that if I leave work I will get fired.
My second reason is that if I leave work I will get fired.
My second reason is I get tired at work and sometimes I fall asleep before the bus comes.
Third if I didn’t have to pick up my daughter I could go to the mermaid club and visit mu mom in my freetime.
In Conclusion: I believe her father should pick her up.
THE END.
By Fakiah A., Cather School
That's Weird, Grandma
I am a doll named Zyra and I wear tutus! I believe that I should be bought. My first reason is I don’t like to stay in the store overnight. My second reason is I AM ADORABLE. I can be your best friend. THE END.
By Kevin L., Avondale-Logandale School
That's Weird, Grandma
One day there was a little girl named Zoe. She was playing with her cat emily. They were playing catch but when she threw the ball to high it got stuck in a tree. and the cat went to get it but the cat got stuck in the tree and the girl was saying and screaming “help my cat emily is stuck in the tree and then a man called the rock, the strongest wrestler was eating breakfast and he heard the little girl screaming and he said i’m going to save that little girl’s cat and he went out with his pajamas on and a little milk on his lip and he said to Zoe “what happened?” and Zoe told the Rock, “My cat is on the tree!” and the Rock got it down and gave it to Zoe. THE END.
