Authors from Chicago’s West Side gathered at A House in Austin Sunday to read to youngsters and help them tell their own stories.
The nonprofit hosted Authors Around the House, an event designed for kids ages 7 to 12. During the workshop, local authors read their own published children’s books out loud and then helped participants write stories of their own. After the stories were completed, the children shared their creations during an open mic session. Families also browsed a book fair that was presented by a representative from PaperPie, a book distributor. At the end of the event, each child left with a goody bag filled with a journal and books by the local authors who facilitated the workshop.
Lynette Kelly-Bell, co-executive director of A House in Austin, said the nonprofit serves as a community hub. The organization was founded in 2016 to provide enriching programs and support for parents and children on Chicago’s west side. As of September 2020, the nonprofit has called a blue Victorian-style house on Pine Avenue their home.
“We want families to know this isn’t just a house,” Kelly-Bell said. “It’s for programming.”
Holistic programming and services provided for families at A House in Austin include weekly parent support groups, cooking courses, family counseling, parent-child music classes, early intervention therapies, drop-in play time and wellness practices of yoga and meditation.
“At the core of everything we do here is the foundation of a child’s development, and reading and writing are huge,” Kelly-Bell said. “From the start we’ve always wanted to make sure that children have access to books. We want to make sure that parents have books at home to read to their children.”
Kelly-Bell said one of the goals of the reading and writing workshop is to expose kids to a future career path that they may not otherwise have considered.
“Having an author that looks like you and comes from the same neighborhood is so impactful to these children,” she said.
One of those authors was Honey Thomas, who writes both adult fiction and children’s books. During the workshop, Thomas read her book “Just Because I’m Little Doesn’t Mean I Can’t Do It” to the children.
“If I am colorful with my reading, my hope is that they can tap into that story and really see themselves in that story,” Thomas said.
Austin native Corey Dooley also read his book titled “Lil Shorty Love” out loud to the workshop’s participants.
“The book is essentially about love. It talks about trauma, love and opportunity,” Dooley said. “Since kids do so much scrolling, I think it’s cool to get them reading and writing too.”
Dooley said writing can also be a helpful and healthy tool for school-aged kids.
“Writing your emotions out is healthy because you can document where you’ve been and see your growth. It’s a good way to track yourself,” he said.
In addition to reading and writing, an opportunity to color and draw was provided by North Lawndale native Jay Simon, who brought a box of coloring books he co-created titled “Elvin Explores North Lawndale.” Throughout the coloring book, an elephant named Elvin drives around North Lawndale, visiting significant places within the community.
“My 7-year-old daughter learned the names of the streets in the neighborhood by doing the crossword puzzle in this coloring book,” Simon said.
One of the parents who attended was Oak Park resident Nicole Linder, who brought her two children, an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old. Linder is also a member of the board at A House in Austin.
“It’s a super exciting chance for these kids to meet real authors,” she said. “The kids like to write stories so it’s a great chance to explore that.”
A House in Austin is located at 533 N. Pine Ave. For more information and to register for programs visit their website at ahouseinaustin.org.