OPL travels to William Allen White Celebration

Enthusiasm for reading and learning abounded at the 64th William Allen White Awards Celebration Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2016, in Emporia, Kans. Emporia State University hosted the annual event which honored two authors of children’s books and provided a forum for children from across the state to gather in celebration of literature. Participants were given the opportunity to attend a sleepover at Emporia Rec Center and meet the award-winning authors in attendance. Storytelling, crafts, and literature-related activities were also provided on Saturday before the award ceremony.

In August 2016 the Osborne Public Library invited young patrons in grades four through six to enter a contest to win a trip to the Celebration. Those interested were required to read at least one book on a current or previous William Allen White book list and submit a written report. Five winners were randomly selected from the entries.

Selena Brown, Teagan Ellenz, Xander Holt, Braden Kibbe, and Hudson Wolters, accompanied by Mindy Miller, attended the sleepover and celebration as representatives of the Library. They were able to meet author Chris Grabenstein, who is a 2015-2016 recipient of the William Allen White award for his book “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library,” and participate in an array of activities. The Library’s representatives were among hundreds of youth from around the state in attendance.

Books under consideration for the 2016-2017 William Allen White Book Awards are now available for checkout at the Library. These books are separated into two lists – one for third through fifth grade and another for grades six through eight. In early 2017 there will be a voting opportunity at the Library for youth who have read the nominated books. One author/book from each category will be selected as winners of the 2016-2017 awards based on the youth vote.

Again, the Library will be hosting a contest for a trip to the William Allen White Celebration in fall 2017. Youth who will be in grades four through six during the 2017-2018 school year are invited to read the nominated books and submit a report for each book read. Each report submitted will count as one entry in the contest and multiple entries are allowed. Up to 10 winners will be selected to attend the Celebration. Participants can automatically qualify for the trip by reading all of the books on either of the 2016-2017 lists and submitting reports for each. Report forms are available on the library’s Facebook page and at the circulation desk.