Reading Ambassadors Present Adam Rex

a man with short hair wearing glasses Worlds of Words combined Reading Ambassadors invite you to meet Adam Rex, author of A Little Like Waking!

Zelda is stuck in a dream. A very strange dream, where people can fly, bears sneeze money and her childhood cat is somehow alive – despite being run over years ago. Things get stranger when Zelda meets Langston, a sweet if overly timid guy who feels more real to her than anyone she’s ever met. As Zelda and Langston explore the far reaches of the dreamscape together, they find themselves growing closer and closer. But what they uncover along the way pushes them towards a truth neither of them wants to face.

Close up of a teen male who reads African American sleeping at the top of the cover in opposite placement to a teen girl who reads white and is awake at the bottom Full of mind-bending artwork, Adam Rex’s A Little Like Waking is a tender, insightful read that defies time, space and expectation that’s perfect for fans of Every Day and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

★ “A charming, funny, highly imaginative story that invites long thoughts about the nature of reality and the enduring importance of romance.” — Booklist, starred review

The program includes a group discussion with the author and personal interactions.

Adam Rex is the award-winning and best-selling author and illustrator of more than forty books for kids. These include Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, On Account of the Gum, Are You Scared Darth Vadar and The True Meaning of Smekday (made into the animated movie Home). He is the author of Oh No, The Aunts Are Here and Pluto Gets the Call, and the illustrator of Chu’s Day by Neil Gaiman.

Attendees are welcome to stay after the event for the Reading Ambassadors’ end-of-year celebration and certificate ceremony.

Free parking is available in the Second St. Garage and at the surface parking lot north of the intersection of First and Vine. Worlds of Words Center is also located just off of the 2nd St. Modern Streetcar stop.

To request disability-related accommodations that would ensure your full participation in this event, please email wow@arizona.edu or call 520.621.9340.

Reading Ambassador author meetings occur every other month throughout the academic year and are open to the public. This free program for area middle and high school students encourages them to promote reading in their own contexts. Additional information on the Reading Ambassadors is available on our website under the About tab.

Event details may change. More information to follow.

5th Annual Read-a-thon

Get lost in a good book with the Worlds of Words Reading Ambassadors as they host their 5th-annual Read-a-thon! The middle and high school reading ambassadors encourage book lovers of all ages to join us for focused reading paired with fun prompts. There is no physical location for the Read-a-thon, so participants can join on Instagram from anywhere they would like to read!

Instagram Graphic with event details from this post

The WOW Reading Ambassadors will include A Little Like Waking by Adam Rex on their reading lists. Read-a-thon participants can read this book or any books they are dying to read — tackle Mt. TBR (to be read) or ignore the pile all together and grab a new book! The titles on everyone’s reading list will be shared on Instagram Stories as a way to build reading lists!

“The Read-A-Thons I’ve been a part of remain my best excuse to spend hours reading uninterrupted,” says Quin, Teen Reading Ambassador.

Mark your calendar for 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 18 when the ambassadors will welcome Adam Rex to Worlds of Words.

Teen and Middle School Reading Ambassador author meetings occur every other month throughout the academic year. This free program for area youth encourages them to promote reading in their own contexts. Additional information on the Teen Reading Ambassadors is available on our website under the About tab.

Event details may change. More information to follow.

Imagination Friday with Adam Rex

Meet Adam Rex, the author and illustrator of The Story of Gumluck the Wizard, a new early chapter book series. In this absurdly silly and heartfelt book, a wee wizard is on a quest to become a helpful hero by doing the bidding of rude, ungrateful townspeople. Narrated by a sarcastic raven, this noodlehead tale introduces a goofy magical kingdom along with questions about truth and lies.

Adam will share his new book, his process in creating the story, invite children to create their Gumluck adventure, and answer questions.

Host: Kathy Short, UArizona Regents Professor and Director of WOW.
Panelist: Adam Rex
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

a man with short hair wearing glasses Adam Rex is the New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, On Account of the Gum, Are You Scared Darth Vadar and The True Meaning of Smekday (made into the animated movie Home). He is the author of Oh No, The Aunts Are Here and Pluto Gets the Call, and the illustrator of Chu’s Day. He has also created art for games like Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. He lives in Tucson, Arizona with his cat, dog, son and wife. Visit him at https://www.adamrex.com/ or follow him on Twitter.

Imagination Fridays is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words/University of Arizona and will occur from 1-1:45 p.m. once a month on a Friday from September to December with a different author or illustrator. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrators to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with Adam Rex and Laura Park

Meet Adam Rex and Laura Park, the creators of a new picturebook, Digestion: The Musical. This hilarious picturebook is about the most basic process of the human body—digesting food! Candy has finally made it into the human body and her “big break” is to be successfully digested. The scientific process of digestion is told through a musical with Candy as a small-town kid who wants to make it big and includes cameos for body parts that help transform food from ingredients to nutrition. An epic adventure through the human body, from bite to bottom.

Adam and Laura will share their new book, invite children to draw, and answer questions.

The webinar will be recorded and those who register will receive that link to watch the recording if unable to join us live. Teachers who want to show the webinar live to their classes will be able to live-stream the webinar.

Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW.
Panelists: Adam Rex and Laura Park
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

Adam Rex is the author and illustrator of more than forty books for children, including Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, School’s First Day of School, and Chu’s Day. He lives in Tucson, Arizona with his cat, dog, son, and wife.

Laura Park is a cartoonist and illustrator whose work appears in a range of publications and books. She is a member of the jam comics collective Trubble Club, and currently lives in Lanas, France.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs one Friday a month from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2022 with a different author or illustrator each session. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with Adam Rex

How do you get gum out of your hair – a pair of scissors? Butter? The cat? Call your aunt – she’ll know what to do. She doesn’t? Try the fire department! In this book, the best intentions lead to some of the worst (and funniest) ideas! With each page turn, this situation – relatable to any family – grows stickier and more desperate. Discover the solution to this sticky situation! At this event, Tucson’s Adam Rex will talk about On Account of the Gum and invite children to complete an activity.

Imagination Fridays participants can order signed copies of the books featured at https://shop.uabookstore.arizona.edu/main/wildcats/TFOB/Children.

Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW.
Panelists: Adam Rex
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

Adam Rex is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich. His other books include The True Meaning of Smekday (which was made into the hit animated movie Home), Moonday and School’s First Day of School (illustrated by Christian Robinson). He also illustrated the Brixton Brothers series, Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem, Chloe and the Lion, and How This Book Was Made, all by Mac Barnett, and Chu’s Day, by Neil Gaiman. Visit him at AdamRex.com or follow him on Twitter @MrAdamRex.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs Fridays from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2020 with a different author or illustrator each week. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

WOW Book Fiesta with Adam Rex and Pluto

Portrait of Adam Rex Meet Adam Rex, author of Pluto Gets the Call!

Pluto loves being a planet. That is, until the day he gets a call from Earth scientists telling him he isn’t a planet anymore! So, Pluto takes the reader on a hilarious and informative journey through the solar system to introduce the other planets and commiserate about his situation along the way.

Likewise, Adam will guide us through interactive science centers featuring space and objects in orbit (that may or may not be planets).

Enjoy light refreshments, listen to read alouds and explore Adam’s books. The University of Arizona BookStores offers books for sale and autographing during this event. The workshop includes two free hours of professional development for teachers.

Free parking is available at the surface parking lot north of the intersection of First and Vine. Paid parking is available at the Second St. Garage next door to the College of Education. Located just off of the 2nd St. streetcar stop.

Event details may change.

To request disability-related accommodations that would ensure your full participation in this event, please email wow@email.arizona.edu or call 520.621.9340.

WOW Book Fiestas occur once a month throughout the academic year. This free program for families and children brings in published authors and illustrators in the Fall and features global cultures in the Spring.

WOW Book Fiestas are not drop-off events. All children must be supervised by a parent, guardian, or accompanying adult at all times.

WOW Book Fiesta: Build Model Worlds with Adam Rex

In this workshop, kids build their own model worlds and make scenes with them starring tiny heroes, villains and spaceships provided by Adam Rex who created the setting for Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by making a model and taking photos.

The University of Arizona Bookstore offers books for sale and autographing during this event. The workshop includes two free hours of professional development for teachers.

Event details may change.