Author O'Neill Entertains Students, Hosts Book Discussion | Education & Schools

Local elementary students will learn ways to inspire and "perform" stories, and to expand on the writing process in lively, interactive assemblies this week with Alexis O'Neill, author of the book "The Recess Queen."

Tuesday assemblies will be at Scherkenbach Elementary in the morning and Fitzgerald Elementary in the afternoon. Wednesday assemblies will take place at Kesterson Elementary in the morning and Adcock Elementary in the afternoon. The events are only open to school students, but O'Neill will host a public book discussion at the Centennial Hills Library at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The locations for the assemblies resulted from a random drawing process with the participating elementary schools.

O'Neill shares insights from the world of professional writing and the importance of persistence when learning a new skill or following a dream. Applying educational standards to everyday life, the sessions encourage students to express their own stories in a number of ways.

"The Recess Queen", with its anti-bullying message for children, served as the focus of the Each One Read One program beginning in fall 2010 to promote literacy, build a sense of community and invite families to read together. Each One Read One is a partnership between CCSD, Clark County Reads, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and Vegas PBS.