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Photographer and children's writer Nina Crews
visited Hamilton-Madison House in the Lower
East Side of Manhattan from June 3 to June 7.
Nina met with pre-kindergartens, English as-a-Second-Language
adult students, senior citizens, and staff interested
in writing children's books.
Every morning for five consecutive days, Nina would
visit a different class of approximately twenty-five
pre-kindergartens and engaged them by reading, drawing,
and dancing. Nina signed each book and presented them
with sunglasses, to coincide with the children wearing
glasses in Nina's One Hot Summer Day.
She met with four different after-school groups ranging
from six years of age to high school students. Depending
on the age level, every participant was given one of
the following books, Ghost Story, One Hot Summer
Day, and You Are Here. Nina's reading of
You Are Here, which is about young girls using
their imagination, motivated a group of seven to nine-year-old
girls to create a book about their imaginary experiences.
Nina spoke about her writing process and a few of the
participants commented about their process also. They
were enthralled when she showed them a giant sized picture
of her work area at home.
Time was allowed for the staff to meet with Nina to
talk about their own aspirations of writing for children
and other ideas on how to engage and retain their constituent's
interest when it comes to reading and writing.
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