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KARLA HARRY VISITING AUTHOR: CHRISTINA SOONTORNVAT
Christina Soontornvat is an award-winning author, engineer, and STEM educator. Her many works for children include picture books, chapter books, and the New York Times bestselling graphic novel series, The Tryout. She is a three-time Newbery Honor recipient, most recently for The Last Mapmaker, which was also named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, and she is the only author to be awarded Newbery Honors for both fiction and nonfiction in the same year. Her account of the Thai Cave Rescue, All Thirteen, received numerous accolades, including the Kirkus Prize for Young People’s Literature.
Christina grew up behind the counter of her parents’ Thai restaurant in a small Texas town with her nose stuck in a book. She is very proud of both her Thai and her Texan roots, and makes regular trips to both Weatherford and Bangkok to see her beloved family members (and eat lots and lots of Thai food!).
In addition to being an author, Christina holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Science Education. She spent a decade working in the science museum field, where she designed programs and exhibits to get kids excited about science. She is passionate about STEM (science, technology engineering, and math) and loves learning new things. She currently lives in Tennessee with her husband and two daughters.
During her visit to Gordon, Christina will be working with all three divisions of the school.
The Karla Harry Visiting Author program is held in memory of a beloved Gordon librarian, administrator and parent. The program provides Gordon students the unique experience of delving into the writer’s craft by working with nationally recognized authors and illustrators. It is supported by the Karla Harry Visiting Author Fund, which was established in 2006.
Book signings on December 8th and 9th
Daytime presentations and workshops on December 8h and 9th
See the Schedule of Events page for more information (Coming soon!)
MARC TYLER NOBLEMAN
Author and TED Talk speaker Marc Tyler Nobleman played a crucial role in documenting the work of Bill Finger, the Jewish writer who co-created Batman and wrote hundreds of early stories for the superhero’s comic book, including the debuts of Robin, the Joker, and Catwoman. In his lifetime, Finger did not receive credit or royalty for his Batman work. Upon his death, he got no obituary, no funeral, and no gravestone.
Thirty years later, Nobleman launched a campaign to correct the record, which included writing Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, a picture book biography of—and the first book in any format—on Finger.
Based on the book, the Hulu documentary Batman & Bill chronicles Nobleman’s nine-year crusade to get Time-Warner to officially acknowledge Finger’s contribution to Batman.
This journey touches on identity, history, imagination, advocacy and justice, all topics that are threaded through Gordon’s curriculum beginning in the youngest grades. Nobleman has inspired audiences of all ages at schools and other venues in almost twenty countries, and he promises that “Even people who couldn't care less about superheroes are riveted by this emotional story.”
Book signing, daytime presentations and workshops on December 10th
Evening public author talk on December 10th at 6:30pm - more information and RSVP
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