Young Adult Writer Geoff Rodkey Speaking at Community Event and Visiting Schools

Booksmarks is bringing award-winning writer Geoff Rodkey to Winston-Salem on Feb. 1 and 2.

In addition to an event that is open to everyone in the community on the night of Feb. 1, he will speak at four Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools – Jefferson Elementary (from 9:15 to 10 a.m. Feb. 1), Griffith Elementary (from 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 1), Middle Fork Elementary (from 7:45 to 9:25 a.m. Feb. 2) and Clemmons Middle School (from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 2).

Thanks to the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, the Power2Give online giving program and Wells Fargo, which matched the money raised elsewhere, Bookmarks will give 50 of Rodkey's books to each school – 25 copies each The Tapper Twins Go To War (With Each Other) and The Tapper Twins Tear Up New York.

“We find that authors who visit schools inspire students in wonderful ways and that the school library copies fly off the shelves, said Ginger Hendricks, the Bookmarks executive director. “We are excited to have him visit Winston-Salem!”

This program for the community on Feb. 1 is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Loma Hopkins Theatre at Summit School at 2100 Reynolda Road. It is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase from Bookmarks and a book signing will follow the presentation.

The Tapper Twins’ story unfolds as an oral history that uses drawings, text messages, screenshots, interviews, digital gaming art, and smartphone photos to relay the interaction between the siblings, their friends, and their parents. The Tapper Twins Go To War (With Each Other) and The Tapper Twins Tear Up New York are the first two in the series. The Tapper Twins Run for President will be published in September.

Rodkey is also the author of the coming-of-age, adventure trilogy series called The Chronicles of Egg and wrote the screenplays to such movies as Daddy Day Care, RV, The Shaggy Dog, and to the Disney Channel’s Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas.

Bookmarks is a literary arts nonprofit organization that engages, inspires, and connects readers with authors. This is achieved through the largest annual free book festival in North and South Carolina; Triad-based author talks; and the Authors in Schools program, which reaches 5,500 students annually. For more information, go to Bookmarks