A North County student wearing a blue and white jacket and gray pants holds up a book from a participating author. (Courtesy Photo)
Students from the Santa Maria Valley participated in the author event at Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center. (Courtesy Photo)

More than 300 fifth-through-eighth-graders from schools throughout Santa Barbara County met with authors and illustrators of children’s and young adult books during the 55th annual Author-Go-Round, hosted by the Santa Barbara County Education Office.

Participating authors and illustrators included:

  • Kathleen Contreras, children’s book author
  • Charlotte Cosby, children’s book author
  • Danielle Davis, children’s book author
  • Joan Bransfield Graham, children’s book author and poet
  • Patricia Newman, children’s book author
  • Greg Trine, children’s graphic novel and young adult author
  • Linda Joy Singleton, children’s book and young adult author 
  • Wendelin Van Draanen, children’s book and young adult author 

After each celebrity author gave a presentation to the entire audience, students broke into small groups to meet with each published writer to discuss their craft and understand the creative process.

To close the event, a few lucky raffle winners walked away with signed books and posters.

“It’s really cool to go around and meet different authors and see how they write their stories. It’s very inspiring and I’m hoping to use some of the tips they gave us to help write my own stories,” said a student from Kellogg Elementary in the Goleta Union School District.

Due to popular demand, the event returned to Santa Maria, expanding access for schools and districts in mid- and northern Santa Barbara County.

Students from across the Santa Maria Valley and beyond joined the event at Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center, Jan. 28-29; students from the southern part of the county gathered on Feb. 4-5 at the Santa Barbara County Education Office Auditorium in Santa Barbara.

“It is so wonderful to see so many students from throughout Santa Barbara County participate in the Author-Go-Round. This event sparks creativity and curiosity and deepens students’ connections to reading, writing, and illustrations,” said county Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido.

“We are grateful to the talented authors who share their time and expertise, inspiring the next generation of storytellers,” she said.

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