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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Andrea Davis Pinkney walked around the Austintown library showing students the journals she writes story ideas in.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Two Austintown Intermediate School students stood with Andrea Davis Pinkney after listening to her presentation at the Austintown library on Feb. 24. Pictured are, from left, Serena Robinson, Andrea Davis Pinkney and Gianna Franklin.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Andrea Davis Pinkney showed guests at the Austintown library the flip flop she wrote a story idea on while she was swimming and didn't have her notebooks.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Andrea Davis Pinkey presented slides of pages from her books to the audience at the Austintown library on Feb. 24.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Andrea Davis Pinkney had the audience at the Austintown library sing along with her to end her presentation on Feb. 24.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Andrea Davis Pinkney talked about her life as a children’s author at the Austintown library on Feb. 24.
Ninety-five students from Austintown Intermediate School were selected to come watch Pinkney’s presentation at the library. Some students were selected based on their good behavior, others were selected as a reward for working hard and some were selected based on an essay they wrote.
Pinkney talked to the students and other guests at the library about how she became an author, her family and her books. She created a slide show that contained a few pages from some of her books. The artwork in her books is created by her husband, Brian Pinkney.
Pinkney was interactive and engaging with the audience. She walked around and showed the guests her journals that she keeps her story ideas in.
Several AIS students talked about how they wanted to be authors and were excited to have the opportunity to watch a presentation by an award-winning author. Some of the fourth-grade students talked about their thoughts on the presentation and what they enjoyed most. Three students were so excited when they heard they had gotten chosen to meet someone famous like a New York Times bestselling author.
“I always wanted to be an illustrator, but now that I heard her speak I actually want be become an author,” said Serena Robinson.
“I liked when she was answering questions and telling us stories about what she did and how she gets her ideas,” said Gianna Franklin.
“I like how she wrote an idea for one of her stories on her flip-flop,” said Zachary Zebosky.
The presentation ended with Pinkney answering questions from the students and other members of the audience.
Pinkney will be putting on another presentation at the main branch of the library on Feb. 25.
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County is always grateful when they have the opportunity to bring in someone influential to speak to the community.