Youth Workshop | Uprooted: A Graphic Novel Workshop with Ruth Chan
July 13, 2025 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
$5
Sunday, July 13, 2:30 pm
Ages 8 – 12, participants must be accompanied by their grownups This workshop is bilingual, incorporating Cantonese characters!
Love reading and making comics? Join award-winning author and illustrator Ruth Chan, whose recently published graphic novel Uprooted(Roaring Brook Press, 2024), explores Ruth’s childhood experience of being uprooted from her hometown of Toronto when her family moves to Hong Kong, a place where her family fits in but feels nothing like home. In this workshop for middle grade students, Ruth will illustrate the essentials of making comics and guide participants in creating characters and storyboarding their own comics. From her own experience writing Uprooted, Ruth will offer some behind-the-scenes tips and imaginative strategies to craft a graphic novel—creative or biographical. According to Ruth, “There will be laughing. There will creative thinking. There will be storytelling. And finally, there will be more laughing.”
Ruth Chan is an award-winning illustrator/author of comics and children’s books. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, NY Magazine, Cup of Jo, and with publishers HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Disney-Hyperion, and Abrams. Uprooted, her middle grade graphic memoir was named Best Book of 2024 by NPR, Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, SLJ, and NY Magazine. Prior to illustrating full time, she spent her teens in Hong Kong and China, a decade working with youth and families in underserved communities. She is a proud Canadian and lives and works in NYC with her husband, daughter, and their dog, Leroy.
Photo of Ruth Chan by Jason J. Chan
The Community Voices Projectfosters meaningful collaborations between The Mount and regional community partners. Through discussions, workshops, readings, and events, the Project aims to nurture and support the development of bold, new storytelling that strengthens diverse voices and incites cross-cultural exchange.
The Community Voices Project is supported by a grant awarded by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Arts Build Community initiative with funding from the Barr Foundation.
There is a $5 materials fee for this workshop. These are challenging times for parents. To register for this workshop without paying the materials fee, please email: programs@edithwharton.org
This August, The Mount is hosting a Children’s Book Swap as part of our Community Day celebration!We’re collecting gently loved children’s booksto share the joy of reading with other families in our community. If you have books your kids have outgrown, this is the perfect chance to give them a second life. All ages, reading levels, and languages are welcome!
Please drop off your gently loved booksat The Mount anytime this summer. We will have a bin in the Stable, and books will also be accepted at the Ticket Booth and other Youth & Family Programs.
What accessibility accommodations does The Mount offer? The Mount is a Massachusetts Cultural Council UP designated organization welcoming participants of all disabilities. Please contact us by phone: 413-551-5100 or by email: info@edithwharton.org to discuss accommodations needed to participate fully in this event. Golf carts will be available to shuttle those with mobility concerns between the parking lot and event venue. View The Mount’s Health and Safety Guidelines.
