PAMKA Book Fair a Huge Success

With the theme of “Read Around the World” the 2009 PAMKA Book Fair was once again the destination of choice for some very big names in the world of adult and children’s literature.

Under the talented chairmanship of parents Renee Rivlin and Claire Wilks and their army of volunteers, students, families and faculty enjoyed a range of activities that encouraged all concerned to support the event and ensure that MKA resoundingly maintained its position as the largest Scholastic Book Fair in the country.

An evening event with the New York Times best-selling political thriller writer Vince Flynn kicked-off the festivities, while tri-campus faculty and staff flocked to a special Faculty Tea in record numbers.  An Ice Cream Sundae Social was the highlight on Sunday’s kick-off shopping day, as MKA families, together with members of the public, enjoyed a spectacular selection of books at the Middle School campus.

For the next three days, students were treated to remarkable presentations from an extraordinary array of authors.  In addition to Flynn, Middle School students heard insights into the writing process from Patrick Carmen, Scott Westerfeld and Rebecca Stead, Upper School students were treated to an unforgettable morning with Christopher McDougall, and Brooksiders were entranced by presentations from Marla Frazee, Judy Schachner and Patricia Polacco.

As MKA students enjoyed their visitors, the guests equally enjoyed the students, each one commenting on the quality of questions, politeness and general “niceness” of the student body.  “That was hands-down the best day I’ve ever had at a book event” raved Born to Run’s author Christopher McDougall, who requested to return to MKA once he has written his next book, and, as  Headmaster Tom Nammack reflected on "The highlight of the fall," he congratulated the volunteers, "Who did an exceptional job at each campus by creating and organizing what amounts to a wonderful celebration of writing, great books, fascinating authors and the power of reading as a means to imagine the world anew or make sense of it."

Click here for photos from this year's Book Fair.