3:40 p.m., March 4, 2008--UD will host the eighth annual Festival of Words for middle and high school students and teachers from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, March 8, in the Willard Hall Education Building.

David Klass, award-winning young adult author, will be the keynote speaker in the morning. His books include Firestorm, You Don't Know Me, California Blue and others.

Poetry Alive! will start the afternoon. Actors will give a high-energy performance involving poetry of many styles and times, designed to excite young people and adults about the possibilities of poetry.

The event also will feature writing and art contests and numerous breakout sessions related to books, including several on environmental issues, a session on sports ethics and one on infectious diseases. Another will focus on digital storytelling.

Festival of Words is sponsored by the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust, the Delaware Center for Teacher Education, the Delaware Teacher Center, the Delaware Reading and Writing Project, the Education Resource Center and UD's Department of English.

For more information and a list of discussion books, go to [www.drwp.udel.edu/conferences.html].