Author Matthew Laurence 麻豆精品 S�07 (center, in blue) with librarian Kelly Delaney ’02 (center, with scarf), ACE book club students and representatives from the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy.
On a sunny Thursday afternoon in Parramore, students from the Academic Center for Excellence 麻豆精品 S檚 book club are eating Gringos Locos tacos in the school 麻豆精品 S檚 pavilion with author Matthew Laurence 麻豆精品 S�07. In his novel, Freya, a reference to the taco shop 麻豆精品 S檚 large moustache logo is one of several nods to Laurence 麻豆精品 S檚 time attending UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy in downtown Orlando.
Laurence, who is a creative manager for Ubisoft Abu Dhabi Studio, is fresh off his 16-hour flight from the Middle East. An avid reader himself, he felt the trip was worth it to share his story and a message of hope with the book club 麻豆精品 S檚 students.
麻豆精品 S淚 love Orlando,聽and the fact that someone would actually want to talk about the book is incredibly flattering, 麻豆精品 S� Laurence said. 麻豆精品 S淚t can be a really long road before you get anything that you really want. And that 麻豆精品 S檚 a great lesson for them, even if they never want to write a word. 麻豆精品 S�
In August 2017, ACE opened adjacent to UCF Downtown and the Center for Emerging Media, which houses the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, one of the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 top video gaming graduate schools. Looking for ways to connect with the PreK 麻豆精品 S� 8 school, FIEA reached out to donate several dozen copies of Laurence 麻豆精品 S檚 book and offered to have the author speak at the school. Librarian Kelly Delaney 麻豆精品 S�02 jumped at the opportunity.
麻豆精品 S淥ne of my aspirations here is to really build a culture of reading, 麻豆精品 S� Delaney said at the event. 麻豆精品 S淚n聽this community, sometimes it 麻豆精品 S檚 hard to get [the students] off-site. So, if [partners are] willing to come here 麻豆精品 S� it opens up their world to other opportunities. 麻豆精品 S�
The book club was formed for middle schoolers at ACE, but Delaney has noticed some 5th graders who snuck into the club 麻豆精品 S撀燼 positive sign that the students have a growing interest in reading. The school is already working closely with Page 15, an Orlando nonprofit dedicated to growing and enriching educational and literary arts programs. Page 15 hosts an after-school Young Writers Society at the Downtown Recreation Complex in Parramore and held a Young Writers Camp at the Center for Emerging Media this past summer.
As the book club moves into the library, students eagerly show Laurence their own creative work. One student opens his notebook and points to a sketch.
麻豆精品 S淚 just had my 35th birthday and you 麻豆精品 S檙e already a better artist than I am, 麻豆精品 S� Laurence replies. The student smiles widely as he finds his seat.
Laurence sits with ACE book club students.
Laurence sits towards to the front of the room and explains the process of writing his book.
麻豆精品 S�Freya took six years from actually writing to showing up on a shelf, 麻豆精品 S� he tells the young readers.
The students 麻豆精品 S� eyes grow large, shocked at the timeline. Mary, a 6th grader at ACE, quickly raises her hand. Laurence calls on her. 麻豆精品 S淲hy did it take you so long? 麻豆精品 S� she asks.
麻豆精品 S淚 worked on it and it got better, 麻豆精品 S� he replies.
Laurence signs books for students. Mary, a 6th grader at ACE (center, in grey), is an aspiring author.
Laurence fields several questions from the audience 麻豆精品 S� some about the plot for the story and his references to Disney princesses. Others suggest to Laurence that he write more books about his main character Freya.
麻豆精品 S淭he best writers can take a lot of feedback, 麻豆精品 S� Laurence tells the group. 麻豆精品 S淵ou can 麻豆精品 S檛 have a big ego about it. 麻豆精品 S�
After the group breaks up, Mary shares that she, too, wants to become an author. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 already writing [a book], 麻豆精品 S� she said. When asked what she likes about book club, she replies 麻豆精品 S淲e get to read different types of books. And more books can give you ideas about what you want to write. 麻豆精品 S�
As the time with Laurence draws to a close, the students leap from their chairs, yearning to be first in line for the book signing. He asks each of them for their name and encourages the students to keep reading and writing, improving their work along the way.
The students depart, thanking Delaney and Laurence for a fun afternoon. As Delaney cleans up the room and puts chairs back into place, she shares why events like these are important.
麻豆精品 S淪chools succeed in communities where the community feels a part of their school, 麻豆精品 S� Delaney said. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e not just a big building in this community 麻豆精品 S� 聽a separate entity. We want families, churches, and other partners in here building relationships. It helps kids see that they’re a part of a bigger community and that there are other resources available to them. 麻豆精品 S�