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 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.
By Shamiyah P., Learn Campbell Campus
That's Weird, Grandma
Once there was a man eating dessert, drinking coffee and listening to music and someone was trying to take a picture of the man and the man did not want his picture taken and the man was trying to eat but hey took a picture of him. His name is Bob Roy and Bob was just trying to eat. He just came from work and he wanted to eat. They should ask can I take a picture of you. Bob might have said yes or he might have said no. Bob might have been a celebrity. THE END.
By Lucero G., Avondale-Logandale School
That's Weird, Grandma
One day Lisa was in her kingdom milkshake. She loved going to the dungeon. so one day she found a key. So two days later she finds a door she tries the key and it works!! So when she opens it she finds her father dead and a note it says death to us part. So she shows this to her mother and the mothe says this is a wedding vowe. And she the mother says we never took wedding vowes! The daughter is surprised. When she look’s through her dad’s old stuff she finds a picture of him with a girl in a wedding dress and him. so when she shows this to her mother. But the mother is washing a knife with human blood! To be continued. THE END.
By Xitlaly G., Loyola Park After-School Program
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
Once there was a girl who cried blodd. 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 Reece, Isabella, Sydney, Mack, Johnny, Hough Street Elementary
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
Once there was a turkey named Yawny who lived in a barn. He slept all of the time. It was the day before thanksgiving and farmer Bob was rounding up all of the turkey. He saw yawny sleeping and decided to pick him up. Yawny woke up suddenly and was startled by Farmer Bob. He flapped his wings and jumped out of farmer Bob’s hands. Farmer Bob chased him til nightfall. And when it was dark, Farmer Bob tripped on a rock and Yawny got away. THE END.
By Cadence M., Kinzie Elementary
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
One day in a science lab there was a new animal created by the scientist Darlene Reyes. The new creature was a chicken and a man. The chicken-man’s name is Chip and Chip loved to act. He even got a role in a movie. The movie was called Charlotte’s Web and he was Charlotte. Chip loved acting so much he decided
THE END.
