Wednesday 28 December 2022 17:00
In December, the Children’s Reading Club for our young booklovers resumes facilitated by Kali Kavvatha. A kindergarten teacher and theatre games animateur for children and adults, Kali Kavvatha is the author of the book Excursion with Federico: A teaching approach to the poems of Federico Garcia Lorca for kindergarten students.
In December we will be travelling to frozen 19th-century Holland, through the pages of Maria Papagianni's book Say It with a Fairy-Tale... - The Silver Skates, based on the namesake book by Mary Mapes Dodge.
On Wednseday, December 28, our young booklovers will meet to share impressions, feelings and thoughts, as well as to embark on an imaginary journey, sparked by the book of the month, into the fascinating worlds emerging from its pages.
The book
This story takes us many years back, to the frozen canals of the Netherlands, where we get to know two children “in clogs who dreamed of miracles.”
A dream, a journey, the difficult decisions, an accident, the everyday hardships, a miracle, the friends, the winners, the races, love — these are the ingredients of a fascinating and moving tale.
Dodge's The Silver Skates was first released in 1865; now, we are getting to know this widely-read classic, a favorite of many generations of children, through this modern-day narrative adaptation.
The author Maria Papagianni is one of the most important creators in Greek children’s literature, a candidate for the International Hans Christian Andersen Award 2022 and a Children’s Books Ambassador for the period 2021–2022. She was born in 1964 in Larissa. She studied Greek Literature at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and then worked as a journalist in radio, television, newspapers and magazines. In 1996 she married composer Thanos Mikroutsikos. Since 2001, when her first book (Goodnight, Mother) was released by Patakis Publishers, she has dedicated herself to her stories. She has been writing books for children and teens, novels for young adults, librettos and lyrics for musical theater performances. She also translates books for children and has published a novel for adults. She has earned significant awards, including: the Greek State Litarary Award (for “The Lonely Tree"); the IBBY Greek Section Award (for "As If By Magic,” and “Winged Shoes”); Award of the literary magazine Diavazo (for "As If By Magic,” “The Lonely Tree, and “Get Them”); and a mention in the White Ravens catalog. Her illustrated books for young children were also released in France, Germany, England, Finland, Romania and Korea, while her novels are expected to be released soon in Russia, Romania, Serbia and Northern Macedonia. The facilitator Kali Kavvatha is a kindergarten teacher and a theatre games animateur for children and adults. She was trained in theatre games under Lakis Kouretzis and was a member of Parodos Art Company. She has taught theatre games and animation of creative activities for children to teachers of kindergarten and primary school, at the Regional Training Centers (PEKs) and the Institute of Adult Continuing Education (IDEKE) of the Greek Ministry of Education, as well as at private educational institutions. She is a collaborator of Dimitris Papaioannou and participated as an assistant creative producer at the 2004 Athens Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies. In 2022, she was awarded by the Greek Section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) with the “Koula Kouloumbi” Award as an active kindergarten teacher who introduces children of pre-school age into the world of children’s books in the most imaginative ways. She has edited the production of educational materials for kindergarten teachers and animators of IDEKE. She has written the book Excursion with Federico: A teaching approach to the poems of Federico Garcia Lorca for kindergarten students (self-published, 2021).
Activities for children before the Reading Club meeting
• Write down with which of the heroes/heroines of the story you would like to be friends and why. Bring your answer with you to our meeting. • In 1865 Netherlands, children are enjoying themselves, loving, having fun, laughing, hurting, trying, facing difficulties, dreaming... One hundred and fifty-seven years have gone by since the story was first released by Mary Mapes Dodge. Are there elements in the story that remind you of images from your life, or the life of other children, in 2022 Greece? • The end of the fairy tale marks the beginning of a journey. Let’s take a moment to visit the Netherlands, shall we? Read the information about the country at the end of the book, and look online to find photos of the Keukenhof park with its millions of flowers, or of picturesque windmills, the frozen canals, the museums, or anything else that impresses you the most.
Wednesday 28/12 17.00 - 18.15
NLG KIDS LAB
Up to 22 participants | For children aged 7 to 9 Free admission with online pre-registration
Pre-registration starts on 01/12, at 12.00
To participate in the Reading Club, it is necessary for those who hold a position to have read the book of the month. (It is also useful to have it with them).
Maria Papagianni’s book “Say It with a Fair-Tale... - The Silver Skates," illustrated by Myrto Delivoria, is available (in Greek) by Patakis Publishers.Children should always be accompanied by parents or adult attendants who should not be away from the outdoor activity.
As part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center's collaboration with the National Library of Greece, the book for the Reading Club has been chosen by NLG staff members.
