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Tony
Medina
CENTER FOR FAMILY LIFE
BROOKLYN, NY
MAY 19 - MAY 23, 2003
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Young boys reading
their favorite poems from Love to Langston
by Tony Medina at the Center for Family Life.
All photos: Sherrie Young
Young girls listening
to Tony Medina discuss why he likes to write.
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Tony Medina,
a poet and a children's author, visited the Center for
Family Life in Sunset Park, Brooklyn from May 19 to
May 23.
His author-residency began when he was introduced to
more than 130 participants of the Center's after-school
program at a general assembly. He spoke about how receiving
a grade of "F" on a book report in high school
and being given a second change to redo the report led
him to become passionate about reading and writing.
The participants, who ranged from age seven to thirteen-years-old
girls and boys, each received a copy of one of the following
books by Mr. Medina: Christmas Makes Me Think,
DeShawn Days, and Love to Langston. After
the introductions, Mr. Medina read one or two of his
books, answered questions, and gave a writing exercise
where participants were asked to form similes such as:
The participants created the following similes such
as: "My eyebrows look like caterpillars,"
"My hair looks like spiders," "The sun
looks like a yellow sunflower that is always smiling."
Lee & Low Books offered books at a discount, which
were donated by the Foundation to participants.
The National Book Foundation
Settlement House Author Residency program is made possible
through a leadership grant from the Theodore H. Barth
Foundation, with additional funding from the Educational
Foundation of America, New York Community Trust, R.R.
Donnelley, and the New York State Council on the Arts.
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