PAMKA's Kingdom of Books Hits New Heights!

The Kingdom of Books was a magical place where for four remarkable days in November, schedules and classes were modified, campus spaces were transformed, literary royalty was hosted and a dedicated group of MKA parents put their lives on hold to ensure that students could enjoy total immersion in the world of books and reading.

This year's PAMKA Scholastic Book Fair brought a star-studded cast of children's authors to MKA who shared personal insights into the writing and illustrating process and provided their rapt audiences with some truly unforgettable moments.

Following the ever-popular Faculty Tea, Sunday's celebrations drew a large crowd from the community and included feasting in the Dining Hall and an appearance from author Judith Viorst who enchanted her audience with true life stories about her youngest son, Alexander, the inspiration for her iconic Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day series.

At the Primary School, Tom Lichtenheld, Caldecott Winner Brian Floca and RaúlColón mesmerized their audiences with demonstrations of their artistry and story telling. The Middle School was treated to a spellbinding presentation from Kenneth Oppel, inspirational words from Sharon Robinson and personal insights into the craft of writing by Lisa Fiedler; while poet and author Kwame Alexander received standing ovations at both the Upper and Middle School for his inspirational presentations on the power of poetry and the importance of risk-taking.

"This was the best book event I have ever been to," noted Alexander after signing every one of his books that were available on the Fair. Huge thanks for that are due Tri-Campus Chair Kris Bromley and her devoted committee of parent assistants and to the on-going support of Scholastic Inc.'s Judy Newman MacGregor (a former MKA parent) and Carol Levine.

Click here to see photos from the event