Field Trip Day Kicks Off 2007 AJC Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical

Events, Activities Planned for Elementary, Middle, High School Students Throughout Day

Event organizers recently announced details of Friday Field Trip Day at the 2007 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical (DBF). The festival is Labor Day weekend, August 31-September 2, opening Friday morning and continuing through Sunday evening with nearly non-stop events and activities.

Friday Field Trip Day, which kicks off the festival, is a new addition this year and is aimed at getting children, tweens, teens, and young adults active in reading, said DBF Executive Director Daren Wang.

“One of our objectives this year was to increase the programming aimed at younger readers, and we feel this is a really fun way to do that,” said Wang.

The Friday Field Trip Day schedule is as follows:

• 9:00-10:30—Elementary schools on the plaza (Children's Stage and Bandstand). Three elementary schools will rotate through three events:
• Demonstration by Chris Raschka, Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator of “The Hello, Goodbye Window”
• Talk by Judy Schachner, best-selling author of the “Skippyjon Jones” series
• Interactive literacy activities
• 10:45-12:15—Middle schoolers on the plaza (Children’s Stage) for Rick Riordan, author of the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series
• 1:50-3:15—Select high school classes (creative writing, art, etc.) at the Decatur Public Library for Peter Kuper, graphic novelist and cartoonist, and LA Banks, author of the “Vampire Huntress” legend series

In addition to the authors mentioned above, don’t forget to visit the Target Children’s Stage throughout the weekend to see the likes of Da Chen, Rob Cleveland, and Holly Black.