Phenix Elementary School students attended the Virginia Children’s Book Festival (VCBF) on Thursday, Oct. 13, the first through fifth grade students from Phenix Elementary School went on one of the most exciting field trips.

Longwood University was the destination as they traveled to the VCBF. The festival, held since 2014, highlights interactive sessions with authors and illustrators from across the country.

This is the first year it has been held in person since 2019 and the first school-wide trip Phenix has journeyed to since the pandemic.

Under the threat of rain, the students enjoyed hearing from Victoria Kann, author of Pinkalicious, Tim Ering illustrator of The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, Benson Shum, author and illustrator of Anzu the Great Kaiju, and Chris Grabenstein, author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, to name just a few. The children were engaged and enthusiastic during their sessions.

The VCBF is such a great opportunity for anyone, especially children living in rural Southside Virginia. This was a wonderful experience for all those who attended. Special appreciation goes to the festival’s planning committee and the founder of the festival, Juanita Giles. Also, Allyson Watkins, who is the librarian at Phenix, works very hard to see that Phenix Elementary School attends this wonderful event and we are very grateful for her hard work.