Kids’ author kicks off literacy event

By Frances Vanderploeg

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008 | midnight

Speeding his way through 16 Henderson schools in three days, children's author and illustrator Mark Ludy had to find a way to reach children ranging from first grade to high school.

After his first stop at Robert Taylor Elementary School, he was already getting rave reviews.

"Mark was very animated," Janet Dobry, principal at Robert Taylor, said. "The kids were enthralled."

Ludy was asked to speak to Henderson students by the APPLE Partnership, the All People Promoting Literacy Efforts committee sponsored by Henderson and the Clark County School District Southeast Region, because of his ability to be so animated, Pat Skorkowsky, assistant superintendent for the Southeast Region, said.

"He's a great children's author/illustrator, and he works with children extremely well," Skorkowsky said.

The reading celebration is an annual event for APPLE. Last year, students had the opportunity to go to the Henderson Pavilion and work with "Arthur" creator Marc Brown. This year, Skorkowsky said, they wanted to find a way to reach more students.

"We were looking at a different format to reach schools at different levels," he said. "This way, we'll be able to spread the opportunity around."

Ludy's message is tailored to various grade levels. At the elementary schools, he focused on the fun aspects of writing a story, while at the high school level he was to speak to art students about illustrating and using artwork in different ways.

Ludy's 16-school dash will finish with an appearance at the Henderson Pavilion at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25, where he will make a brief presentation and sign autographs.

Frances Vanderploeg can be reached at 990-2660 or [email protected].