Author Matthew Laurence 鈥�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鈥檚 book club are eating Gringos Locos tacos in the school鈥檚 pavilion with author Matthew Laurence 鈥�07. In his novel, Freya, a reference to the taco shop鈥檚 large moustache logo is one of several nods to Laurence鈥檚 time attending 麻豆原创鈥檚 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鈥檚 students.
鈥淚 love Orlando,聽and the fact that someone would actually want to talk about the book is incredibly flattering,鈥� Laurence said. 鈥淚t can be a really long road before you get anything that you really want. And that鈥檚 a great lesson for them, even if they never want to write a word.鈥�
In August 2017, ACE opened adjacent to 麻豆原创 Downtown and the Center for Emerging Media, which houses the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, one of the nation鈥檚 top video gaming graduate schools. Looking for ways to connect with the PreK 鈥� 8 school, FIEA reached out to donate several dozen copies of Laurence鈥檚 book and offered to have the author speak at the school. Librarian Kelly Delaney 鈥�02 jumped at the opportunity.
鈥淥ne of my aspirations here is to really build a culture of reading,鈥� Delaney said at the event. 鈥淚n聽this community, sometimes it鈥檚 hard to get [the students] off-site. So, if [partners are] willing to come here 鈥� it opens up their world to other opportunities.鈥�
The book club was formed for middle schoolers at ACE, but Delaney has noticed some 5th graders who snuck into the club 鈥撀燼 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.
鈥淚 just had my 35th birthday and you鈥檙e already a better artist than I am,鈥� 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.
鈥�Freya took six years from actually writing to showing up on a shelf,鈥� he tells the young readers.
The students鈥� eyes grow large, shocked at the timeline. Mary, a 6th grader at ACE, quickly raises her hand. Laurence calls on her. 鈥淲hy did it take you so long?鈥� she asks.
鈥淚 worked on it and it got better,鈥� 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 鈥� 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.
鈥淭he best writers can take a lot of feedback,鈥� Laurence tells the group. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have a big ego about it.鈥�
After the group breaks up, Mary shares that she, too, wants to become an author. 鈥淚鈥檓 already writing [a book],鈥� she said. When asked what she likes about book club, she replies 鈥淲e get to read different types of books. And more books can give you ideas about what you want to write.鈥�
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.
鈥淪chools succeed in communities where the community feels a part of their school,鈥� Delaney said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not just a big building in this community 鈥� 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.鈥�