AJC-Decatur Book Festival
‘Harry Potter’ fans in for treat at Book Fest
Families, kids targeted with games, music and more
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
AT THE DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL, you can immerse yourself in literature and poetry, meet Pulitzer Prize winners and probe the writers’ mind.
Or you can dress silly, sing loud, laugh a lot and have the cheapest possible family outing.
WARNER BROS.
A major attraction of the holiday weekend’s AJC-Decatur Book Festival will be a ‘Harry Potter’ trivia contest for kids 18-and-under, where contestants’ knowledge of the book series will be tested by ‘Continuity Editor’ Cheryl Klein.
The festival’s offerings for children and teens are particularly strong this year: from the world premiere of the first new “Madeline” book in 50 years to ghost stories; from pop-up books to a Harry Potter trivia quiz.
The Target Children’s Tent in Decatur Square will be jammed Aug. 30-31 with families with young children; nearby, at Several Dancers Core, “The Escape” will offer a hangout where teens can talk about their favorite books and try open mic poetry.
There’s plenty of audience participation at the festival’s offerings for younger readers. When the Atlanta-based family band Laughing Pizza takes the stage Aug. 30, the group will sing a song called “Share a Smile” in which dancers onstage and the audience will spell out the word “Smile” using their arms, much like dancers do to the song “YMCA.”
“Our show is like a kid’s first rock concert,” says Lisa Schlosser, who with husband Billy and 12-year-old daughter Emily form Laughing Pizza. The trio has played the White House with Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, and PBS affiliates show their G-rated music videos between children’s shows.
Those videos were the stepping stone that got Laughing Pizza touring at other book festivals where Target sponsors children’s stages. Two of Julie Andrews’ grandchildren watched the videos on PBS, and after they met Andrews, she persuaded Target to book them in New York and Los Angeles.
This will be their first time at the Decatur Book Fest, though. Although they haven’t written any books — yet — they use their shows to promote literacy and reading, says DBF executive director Daren Wang.
“Our life is an episode of ‘The Patridge Family,’ ” says Lisa.
THE 411: Laughing Pizza. Family-oriented concert. Noon Aug. 30 at Target Children’s Stage.
So you think you know Harry?
One of the Decatur Book Festival highlights for younger readers may be the “Harry Potter Trivia Quiz,” in which a limited number of kids, all under age 18, will be invited onstage Aug. 30 to test their wizarding skills and win prizes, including deluxe editions of Potter books and gift certificates to Decatur’s Little Shop of Stories.
The fest has tapped Cheryl Klein to judge the quiz. Klein was Scholastic Books’ continuity editor on the Potter books, which made her one of the leading experts on all things Harry.
Q: What does a continuity editor do?
A: Continuity editor is a title we made up to describe what I was doing on the Harry Potter books, which was keeping track of all the facts. There’s copy editing facts, like Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. Every time that it appears, does Every Flavor have a hyphen in it? Do we take out the “u” from “flavour” for the Americanized spelling? And I also help the primary editor keep track of where all the characters are, where all the magical implements are, ‘cause the plotting is so intricate.
Q: Did you ever catch a mistake that Rowling made, like a line where Snape has three kids named Moe, Larry and Curly?
A: Changes like that did come up. Talking about them is a little like violating lawyer-client privilege. It’s the author’s job to talk about those.
Q: Now that the Potter books are all done, what are you doing?
I’m back to my full-time job, which is editing other books for Scholastic.
Q: Have you done a lot of Harry Potter trivia contests?
A: I’ve never actually overseen a Harry Potter trivia contest. But I love trivia and I love Harry, so that will be great.
Q: If this is your first time as a judge, how are you preparing?
A: I hope to have all seven books with me. Oftentimes my job with Harry is not so much knowing all the facts myself, but like a good librarian, knowing where the facts are located. If somebody says when was the Wizarding Statute of Secrecy put in, my job is knowing where we can find that information verified in the books.
THE 411: The Harry Potter Quiz Show. 4:30 p.m. Aug. 30 at Target Children’s Stage. Open only to Potter experts under 18.
AJC DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL
Through Aug. 31, downtown in Decatur. Free, except for some evening musical concerts. For a schedule of events, including readings, performances, demonstrations and more, visit www.decaturbookfestival.com.
KID AND FAMILY HIGHLIGHTS
“Madeline and the Cats of Rome” World Premiere. Madeline-themed children’s parade led by John Bemelmans Marciano, grandson of the creator. 9 a.m. Aug. 30, corner of Clairmont Avenue and Commerce Drive. Followed by Marciano reading, 10 a.m., Target Children’s Stage.
Pop-Up with Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. Demonstration by the king of pop-up art. 10:30 a.m. Aug. 30 at Target Children’s Stage.
Fantasy vs. Sci-Fi Smackdown. Teens are invited to debate which genre rules. 2:45 p.m. Aug. 30 at Several Dancers Core on Decatur Square.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
Billy Collins. Keynote speech by former U.S. poet laureate. 8 p.m. Aug. 29, Presser Hall, Agnes Scott College. Seating fills up early.
Atlanta Writers Club Sunday Brunch. A still-growing list of authors (Roy Blount Jr., Hollis Gillespie, Karen Abbott, Da Chen, Lee Smith, many more) host a private brunch at Sage Restaurant, 121 Sycamore St. 11 a.m. Aug. 31. Tickets: $45.
Natasha Trethewey and Eric Trethewey. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and her father appear together. 3 p.m. Aug. 30 at Decatur Presbyterian Church.
Pearl Cleage. Atlanta-based author and playwright (and Oprah Book Club annointee). 1:45 p.m. Aug. 30 at Decatur Presbyterian Church.
John Dean. Former Nixon White House aide, now author of “Broken Government: How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches.” 5:30 p.m. Aug. 30 at Decatur Presbyterian Church.
“A Threesome.” African-American authors of sexy popular fiction: Eric Jerome Dickey, Marissa Monteilh and Fiona Zedde. 5:30 p.m. Aug. 30 at Old Courthouse.
The Good Ol’ Girls. Lee Smith, Marshall Chapman, Jill McCorkle and Matraca Berg perform a musical revue about the influence their books and music have had one another. 8:30 p.m. Aug. 31 at Eddie’s Attic on Decatur Square. Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 day of show.
