One-week camp at Poets House
Choose one August week at Poets House. In this small-group Story Bound camp for ages 6–8, children work with a creative team, including a professional illustrator, to shape a story into a printed softcover book they can hold, sign, share, and keep. Limited to 8 children per week.
From a spark or squiggle to a finished story
At Story Bound, children get time, space, structure, and guidance from a creative team to find the story inside their ideas and work through the mess of making until the story takes shape. The book is how the story travels: a printed object to hold, sign, share, and keep.
The week ends with a reading and book signing for family and friends.
Ages
Best for children aged 6-8 years
Dates
Choose one week
Aug 24–28 or Aug 31–Sep 4
Group size
Small group, up to 8 participants
Included
One printed softcover book
Time
9:00am - 1:00pm EDT
Location
Poets House, 10 River Terrace, New York, NY 10282
How the week works
Each morning, we return to a page, line, drawing, character choice, or idea from the day before. A small win makes the work feel possible.
Finish one thing
Pages take shape through drawing, dictation, writing, collage, and guided layout, with support matched to each child’s interest.
Build the book
The group talks through ideas, listens for what is working, and practices clear, kind feedback.
Story circle
An illustrator turns characters, settings, and scenes into a visual direction for the finished book. The story stays with its author.
Illustrator guidance
Making can be frustrating. We treat that as part of the work: pause, move, reset, and return to the page.
Move through it
We practice reading aloud and choosing an autograph for the final signing. A signature becomes part of the work: expression, ownership, authorship.
Read, sign, share
At Poets House, a place built around words
Poets House gives children a literary setting from the start: a light-filled reading room, shelves of poetry, and old-fashioned manual typewriters in the Children’s Room. Nearby Rockefeller Park gives us space for outdoor movement and reset time.
Easy to reach: A short walk from Chambers Street on the 1, 2, 3, A, and C trains.
Good to know
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Story Bound is for children ages 6–8 who enjoy stories, drawing, making things, or imaginative play. Children do not need to think of themselves as writers to participate.
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Story Bound begins this August at Poets House, 10 River Terrace in Battery Park City. Registration will open for two one-week cohorts beginning August 24 and August 31. Each cohort is limited to 8 children. Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Tuition is $1,250 for the one-week bookmaking camp. One printed softcover book is included.
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Each child will make a finished printed softcover book based on their own story. One printed copy is included.
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Yes. Additional copies will be available for an added cost.
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No. Ages 6–8 are a moment when children often have richer ideas than they can easily write down. We support children through conversation, drawing, dictation, page-building, and writing at their level.
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Each day includes story circle, guided making time, drawing, writing, book-building, movement breaks, and time to return to the work. The week builds toward a final reading and book signing.
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Story Bound is guided by a creative team, including a professional illustrator. Grown-ups provide structure, prompts, feedback, and visual guidance. The story remains the child’s own.
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Weather permitting, we may use nearby outdoor space for supervised movement breaks and reset time.
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At the end of the week, children share their finished books with family and friends and choose how to sign their work. The autograph matters: it turns penmanship into expression, ownership, and authorship.
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Story Bound is a one-week program. Families will choose either the August 24 week or the August 31 week when registration opens.
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Join the first-access list. We’ll send first notice when registration opens for the August 24 and August 31 cohorts.
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Yes. Future Story Bound programs may include added seats, new dates, school-holiday workshops, neighborhood readings, and special bookmaking projects. Join the list for first notice.