Beyond the Page: Santa Barbara County Students Meet the Authors Behind the Books at SBCEO’s Author-Go-Round

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SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CA – The Santa Barbara County Education Office’s 56th annual Author-Go-Round was a joyous success, bringing together more than 350 fifth through eighth grade students from schools across Santa Barbara County. Participants had the special opportunity to meet with and learn from authors and illustrators of children’s and young adult books, including:

• Joan Bransfield Graham
• James Buckley Jr.
• Kathleen Contreras
• Rebecca Langston-George
• John Parra
• Sherry Shahan
• Wendelin Van Draanen
• Lee Wardlaw

Following presentations by each celebrity author, students broke into small groups to meet with each writer to discuss and understand their craft and the creative process. To close the event, a few lucky raffle winners walked away with signed books and posters.

“The authors have inspired me to keep on following my dreams of becoming a poet and to keep trying new things. They have reminded me that it doesn’t matter where you start – you just need to start somewhere,” shared one participating student from Mountain View Elementary in the Goleta Union School District.

Students from the southern part of the county gathered on Jan. 22 – 23 at the Santa Barbara County Education Office Auditorium in Santa Barbara. For students and schools in northern Santa Barbara County, SBCEO hosted the Author-Go-Around on Jan. 29 – 30 at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center in Santa Maria. 

“Author-Go-Round gives students an opportunity to meet the people behind the books and illustrations they love and build meaningful connections to reading and writing,” said County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido. “We thank the authors who generously share their time and talent, and help make the event a special and inspirational day for students across Santa Barbara County.”

Participating students came from the Buellton, College, Goleta, Hope, Lompoc, Orcutt, Santa Barbara Unified, Santa Maria-Bonita, and Solvang school districts and Manzanita, Orcutt Academy, and Santa Barbara charter schools.