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 Aidan G., Morton School of Excellence
Holidays
Winter Holidays
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was a family who owned a beautiful house on the north side of Chicago. One Christmas while they were out visiting other family members, the alien santa came into their house through the window and jumped on their bed. When they came home they found the Santa stuck to the roo and could not get down. They called 911 to rescue him.
THE END.
By Jaiden W., Avondale-Logandale School
That's Weird, Grandma
One day a lady named Ruby she always wanted to be alone. When she could relax school was the best place for her to relax. No one came to school because they all sere sick. For the whole day she was happy all she did was read, and sleep when one of the sick kids walked in he said I am ready for school. He had a runny nose and he snees she got sick. THE END.
By Jessica P., Avondale-Logandale School
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Setting: School
Characters: New girl, Popular girl, teacher, popular friend, and new girl’s friend named jade
New g: (come sin) Hello, I’m a new student
Poular g: (Nasty face) soooooo a new student (mean voice)
Teacher: (surprise) oh, class, there’s a new student.
New girl: My name is Josylen.
Popular g: (Starting to kill her) I hat her! (talks to friend)
Popular f: (surprise face) But why are you so mean? She’s new.
Popular g: Well yeah, but she is soooo pretty and nice, duh!
Popular fri: Well tried to be used to her.
Popular gL ok ugh
Teacher: Class please find a empty seat for our new student (nicely) please.
Popular Fri: There’s one between me and my friend Nancy.
Popular G: nit it’s saved!
Teacher: No one sits there.
New Girl: That’s ok, I’ll sit somewhere else.
New Girl Fri: Hey sit here Joslyn. (happyness)
New Girl: Ok (nicely)
Teacher: Finally you found a seat. Thanks Jade.
New girl f: no problem teacher.
Teacher: Class it’s time for lunch (nicely)
Teacher: (hears bell) Class you may dismiss for lunch.
New girl: ok teacher (same time)
New girls fri: ok teacher (same time)
Popular girl: (pushes new girl)
New girl: Ouch! (sadness)
New girl f: (felt upset for friend) Are you ok?
New girl: No (cries)
New girl f: Ok I’ll tell someone for help.
Popular girl: no your not! (pushes)
New girl f: (fells) ouch, well it won’t help (laughs) ha ha ha
Popular g: What.
New girl f: Your friend Holly told the teacher.
Popular g: What, why pal?
Popular girl friend: Sorry, but I know your plan at lunch.
New girl: (sniff)
New girl f: Ok Let’s go to class with Holly (goes to the classroom)
THE END.
By Almani C., Kemani B., Gabrielle S., Monica J., Jala B., Lashay E., Dixon Elementary
That's Weird, Grandma
It was a sunny day in Hawaii. Fred, the chicken sadnwich, was opening up KFP (Kentucky Fried People). On the roof was a blow-up chicken that was orange and holding a human heart. Shrimp, the dancing cucumber, went into the kitchen and saw Fred cutting up the food. But the food wasn’t chicken, it was people. She called the police (Devie & Stewie, who weren;t very smart) and when they came, Shrimp starting singing the KFP song. KENTUCKY FRIED PEOPLE, IS PEOPLE NOT CHICKEN *COME ON* The police started dancing. So they didn’t arrest Fred (Who just made his hit single that made $1000, and the album cover had a chicken sandwich with a human in his hand) Instead, Shrimp solved it by eating Fred. Shrimp says, “Sandwish. sw. sw.” THE END.
By Jamari J., Dawes Elementary School
That's Weird, Grandma
I believe people should buy more buffalo joe’s to eat so they can have more juicy (drewling)
Delicious bbq chicken and seasoned fries and when they get their juicy (drewling) delicious buffalo joe’s they can just give it to their kids, then the kids can go to their room and watch tv or play video games and then when their done they can go ask their parents to buy some more juicy (drewling) delicious buffalo joe’s. And when they get they are going to get good grades, behave, cut the grass, and wash the dishes, and also wash their laundry. And then they will freak out. And they will freak out because they’ll get more buffalo joe’s then they’ll had more then they had before. THE END.
By Danielle T., Poe Classical School
That's Weird, Grandma
Once there was a zoo that was the worst. You might ask “why is it the worst?” Just ask Serious Sally. Sally will tell you “That zoo has hay everywhere”. But you will say “Stupid, duh there’s hay it’s a zoo”. She will also say there’s animals always out of the cage. You will say “duh, birds that are wild are always out of a cage. And last she is stinky and smelly “duh, all of the animal smells.” You might think she’s crazy or dumb, but the real reason is because, she’s a princess of course. Duh, why else? THE END.
By Diontanae W., Chalmers School of Excellence
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
Once upon a time there was 10 siblings by the ocean doing yoga there was Sandra, Kat, Rachel, Eunice, Kerry, Steven, tim, Lana, darian and kevin but while Sandra was doing the tree pose she fell over 33 feet into the ocean and they saw a girl jumping rope the 9 siblings begged to see the rope she said, “sure” so they threw the rope down and shouted. Sandra grab the rope she grabbed and yelled I got it so she climbed up the rope and then they all lived happily ever after. THE END.
By Corey H. & Sinshire G., Herzl School of Excellence
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
Setting: Subland, Characters Walking Meatball and Mozzarella Cheese
Narrator: The tale of the best friends
Walking Meat Ball: I saucey today
Mozzarella Cheese: Meatball you always saucey like I always cheesy.
Walking Meatball: Well….you don’t know how it feels being saucey.
Mozzarella Cheese: I don’t care how it feel to be saucey! I happy being cheesy.
Walking Meatball: Well, we not best friends anymore.
Mozzarella Cheese: Well you can’t make a meatball sub without me
Narrator: They never to talk again
THE END.
By Geneva D., Loyola Park After-School Program
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
One rainy day in a zoo a girl named Jessica was looking at the monkeys and one monkey disappeared. She looked all over the monkey house. She ask what just happened to the monkeys and the Zoo Keepr said “OY my dear in the monkey habitat there is a door and so the monkey went in the door” and she said “Ow that is how the monkey disappeared!” But she still did not get it and she still never got it dun dun dun. THE END.
By Jamada H., Johnson School of Excellence
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
Celebration of Authors
Once I was nine years old. It was the year 2016. I went to Wisconsin with my Dad and my stepmom. We went to the zoo and we were with the monkeys. One of the monkeys jumped toward me and my cousin and slapped her on the face. Then my Dad slapped the monkey back and then we ran away to another exhibit. THE END.
