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 Cameran M., Dvorak School of Excellence
That's Weird, Grandma
One day Jake woke up and his back was hurting so bad it felt like a cannon hit him. So when he got up to go eat breakfast he slipped on his brother’s skateboard. He fell so hard it felt he fell on a nail. Then he went to the bathroom to put his clothes on when he looked in the mirror he had lots of bumps on his face. Then he went to school. The children made fun of him and he got bullied. He was madder than a grizzly bear. So he went home and went to bed in hopes the next day would be better. THE END.
By Troy C., Jasmine R., Malik S., Tierra W., Curtis F., and Jerry L., Dewey Academy
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time it was a man named John, a girl named Lila and Lila’s sister CC that can turn into a dragon. She could protect her sister, Lila. Lila liked John and John liked Lila, but Lila’s sister didn’t want them to get together. She tried to ruin their relationship. When John and Lila would go somewhere, CC would say she had to go to the bathroom and she’s come back as a Dragon and try to grab her sister, and she and John would battle. Lila had visions when her sister was going to do something bad, and Lila’s life was miserable. The reason CC acted bad was because she wanted to get some attention, so she started a war between the Hot and Cold, so John and Lila break up because John is on the Hot and Lila’s on the Cold. CC was going to go to the Freeze to get more people to battle John. When CC and John were fixin to battle, Lila tried to make them be friends. They tried to take her but she turned into a dragon. John took CC to get some ice cream, and she became friends with Lila. They stopped to war. The end.
By Sarronda L., Jaleesa W., Anaya G., Dewey
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: NJ, CA, RA Setting: A Bubble gum party
NJ: Lets have a bubble gum party
RA: Watebs
CA: (ok) I’m their.
NJ: I got all this bubble gum.
RA: I’m eating purple gum now and I’m turning purple.
CA: look at the ceiling it gum is floating.
NJ: look I am pink like bubble gum
RA: I am purple like the juice ohh la la
CA: I’m blue girls lets sing in our bubble gum out fit.
NJ: Let’s sing starships.
RA: hit it.
CA: give me a beat.
By Michael E. & Napoleon N., Paderewski Elementary
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
Me and Michael went to a Bulls game and then Derrick Rose poped out of the sky. Then Derrick hit a 3 pointer out of the sky.
Michael: Did you see that? That was awesome
Napoleon: III saw that.
The after he shot he gave us that ball. When he gave us the ball we opened it it had 40 million in a Gucci bag
Derrick: Are you 2 hungry?
Michael: Yes we are both hungry.
Napoleon: So Derrick where are we going?.
Derrick: Let’s go get you 2 freshed up.
NM: Okay!!!!
Michael: Derrick why don’t we order hummer limo
Derrick: what color
MN: black & yellow.
Derrick: we should go get that boy who made that
We went to the greatest food chain ever and spend 1 million bucks
The End
By Isabella , Loyola Park After School Program
That's Weird, Grandma
One day at antarctica a marshmelow named Bob he had a girlfriend named
Cortny she always said be careful to him and also don’t get eaten by
those littol dang deer he always said don’t worry baby! I’ll be fine.
But oan day it was Bob’s birthday he said “Am going out huny” She
did not say anything she got a diet coke cause marshmelow guop was
skurting out like really bad. Bob had no idea and when he left BOM!!
She died Bob did not come back he got eaten by one of those dang
deers. The End and that is the story of the old man.
By Antonio C., Avondale-Logandale Elementary
Dialogues
Holidays
Winter Holidays
That's Weird, Grandma
Setting: Tokyo
Characters: Antonio and Angel
Antonio: On Christmas evening there is snow. You could go skating. If you have a Christmas tree you and your family could decorate it and there are presents.
Angel: He Antonio, today you want to come to my house to open my present. Bring your presents.
Antonio: Yes, I can[‘t?] wait for Christmas to come. Fanile [Finally?] Christmas came. I [am] going ton Angel’s house.
Angel: Antonio you are just in time to open our present.
Antonio: I forgot my present. I will be back.
Angel: did you get your presents?
Antonio: Yes it’s 12:00 [o’clock].
Angel: It’s time to open the presents.
Antonio: Merry Christmas Angel.
Angel: Merry Christmas Antonio.
By Israel M., Little Village Academy
Holidays
Winter Holidays
That's Weird, Grandma
One day it was one more day for Christmas we wanted to see santa so we had a plan. When it was Christmas we sleep in a room where it was close to the living room. Then santa came. We saw him and grab a big bag. And we were so quiet then we kicknap him then we took all the present and put it on the tree then we put the deers on the garage. When it was the morning our parents said how we got deers we told that santa gave it to us and left. When we open the presents we got nerf gun, Playstation games, Wii Games, X box games, Nintendo Games and Gameboy games it was cool then it was July so then we let Santa go he was so hot he went in Airplane home. We got in trouble. We couldn’t play video game for 2 months. Instead we play soccer and blow up fireworks. The End.
By James H., Paderewski
That's Weird, Grandma
One day when I was in school it was lunch time and we had the most disgusting lunch of all it was broccoli and milk and all of a sudden a man had yelled you should not be giving these kids only broccoli and milk! And he said: “I’m the King of Lunch!” And we cheered for him and he had servants throw the broccoli away and made an all you can eat buffet and the two lunch ladies went to jail for starving kids and the day was saved. The End.
By Princess M., New Sullivan Elementary
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
When I was just a little girl my mama used to tuck me into bed. Then she will read me a story. It’s always about a princess who can’t find her prince and in up with a creature. She said I will dream my own dreams. I will slay my own dragon. I will retell my story. I don’t want to be like Cinderella wanting some body to come and set me free. I will reclaim my story. In the dungeon. I have a stepsister and she is locked in her room by her mom. The End
By Kasandra P., Columbia Explorers Academy
Spanish
That's Weird, Grandma
Una ves una bailarina que se llama Maria. Maria eva un a gran bailarina y su maerta se llama Alejandra. Un dia llegaria el campoinato pero Maria se torcia el pie y no podia bailar la maertra Alejandra le hablo a Maria poi telefono la maestra Alejandra le dijo a Maria que porque no llegaba al campionato si al guien te cubre no ganasas y note daran el premio. Maria le dijo a la maestra Alejandra tengo una idea nesesito que vengas a mi casa maestra Alejandra. La maestra Alejandra llego ala casa de Maria. Mire maestra Alejandra pongase esta mascara de mi. La maestra bail y gano el premio y la maestra Alejandra se lo dio a Maria.
English translation:
Once there was a ballerina named Maria. Maria was a great ballerina and her teacher was named Alejandra. One day the great championship would come but Maria twisted her foot and was not able to dance. The teacher Alejandra called Maria on the phone and asked Maria why she was not going to the championship, and that if someone did not cover her,she would not win and would not get the prize. Maria told teacher Alejandra I have an idea, I need you to come to my house. The teacher Alejandra arrived at Maria’s house. Look teacher Alejandra put this mask of me on. The teacher danced and won the price and then the teacher gave the prize to Maria.
