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 level.
Build the book
The group talks through ideas, listens for what is working, and practices clear, kind feedback.
Story circle
An illustrator helps turn 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
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.
At Poets House, place built around words