'Celebration of Authors' set April 17 at PCPL

Thursday, April 12, 2012
Claudia Mills

The Putnam County Public Library will host "A Celebration of Authors" at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 17.

The program will feature children's author Claudia Mills and selected student authors from the first and second grade classes at Ridpath and Deer Meadow primary schools.

A total of 14 first- and second-grade student authors will read stories and poetry they are preparing for publication.

Mills will share some of her own childhood writing and talk about how to take real events that happen in life and shape them into stories that may take a very different form. She will also address the importance of reading to become a good writer.

Mills, who received her PhD from Princeton in 1991, joined the faculty of the University of Colorado philosophy department in 1992.

Before that, her diverse past included working in children's book publishing at Scholastic in New York City, earning a master's degree in library science (specializing in the study of children's literature), and spending a decade as editor and director of publications at the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at the University of Maryland.

In 2011 Mills came to DePauw as the Robert and Carolyn Frederick Distinguished Visiting Professor of Ethics and Associate Professor of Philosophy.

Mills will remain at DePauw for the 2012-13 school year.

Mills is the author of 40 books for children, including "Ziggy's Blue-Ribbon Day," "Fractions = Trouble!" "Being Teddy Roosevelt" and the "Gus and Grandpa" series.

"When I was a child who longed someday to be a writer, I would have been thrilled if a real live author had ever come to my school," Mills said. "None ever did. But now I go to schools every chance I get to connect with young writers and young readers."

The evening will conclude with a read-aloud by Mills from a few of her own books and refreshments.

Several of her children's books will be available on-site for purchase and signing.

For more information, persons may contact the PCPL at 653-2755 or visit the library's homepage at www.putnam.lib.in.us.

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