FAMILY BOOK FEST
AUTHORS and ILLUSTRATORS
Leone Castell Anderson, a former Chicagoan, now lives and writes in the 125-year-old Chelsea Schoolhouse north of Stockton. An ABC Writers member, Leone is also the northwest Illinois co-rep for the Society of Children¹s Book Writers and Illustrators. Many of her stories have appeared in Highlights for Children plus other magazines, and she has won first place in the Highlights Fiction Contest. Leone has had ten picture books published, including three Golden Books, some of which are available on Amazon.com. Her most current books are two middle-grade historical novels: Sean's War, depicting early settler life during the 1832 Black Hawk War, and its 2003 sequel, Sean's Quest (ShadowPlay Press), which takes place immediately following that war. Both of these historical novels will be available at the Family Book Fest.
Bryan Ballinger has been an illustrator for over 13 years working for clients such as Disney, Nintendo, HarperCollins, Scholastic, Macmillan, and VeggieTales. Bryan has illustrated over 16 books for children, including The Great Cheese Squeeze, which he wrote and illustrated. You can visit his website at http://www.bryanballinger.com/. Bryan's recognitions include: Finalist, Gold Medallion Book Award; Featured in D'Artist, the best in digital painting; Featured Artist on the SCBWI website; Accepted into Spectrum's 10th Annual Best in Contemporary Fantasy Art; Accepted into the 2003 Society of Illustrators Dimensional Salon; Featured in Expose, the best in computer graphics; Two-time winner of 3-D Design Magazine's Big Kahuna Award; An honorable mention in the SCWBI 3rd Illustration Contest. Bryan will be autographing his book, The Great Cheese Squeeze.
Arthur Geisert has published twenty children's picture books with Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, MA. Pigaroons, his latest, takes his enterprising pigs on an epic involving an ice sculpture contest and the Mississippi River, which Geisert can see from his house on Whitmore Mound near Galena. Born in Dallas and raised in Los Angeles, Geisert received his Master of Arts from the U. of Calif., Davis, in sculpture. He uses the centuries-old technique of etching to illustrate his books, which have received awards from the New York Times, the New York Society of Illustrators, and Parents Choice, among others. Books written and illustrated by Geisert which will be on sale include, Pigaroons, Roman Numerals I to MM , Oink, and Pigs A to Z.
Bonnie Geisert draws heavily on her South Dakota farm experiences in the 1950s for her children's books. Two novels, Prairie Summer, and Lessons (spring 2005) and two picture books with her husband Arthur, Haystack and Prairie Town are directly related to her rural childhood. Geisert was a fourth grade teacher for twenty years in Galena. She received her M.A. in Education from Concordia University, River Forest, IL, and her undergraduate work at Concordia University, Seward, NE, where she met her husband. Her first paid writing job was as a Galena correspondent for the Freeport Journal Standard, 1991-95. Bonnie Geisert will be autographing Prairie Summer, Haystack, and Prairie Town.
Jan Spivey Gilchrist's first children's book was published in 1988. Since then she has illustrated over forty-seven books for children. Nathaniel Talking, by Eloise Greenfield won her the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration in 1990, and Night on Neighborhood Street also by Ms. Greenfield won the 1992 Coretta Scott King Honor Book Award for Illustration. This book is also a Reading Rainbow Book. Books illustrated by Ms. Gilchrist have received ALA Notables and numerous prestigious awards. Ms. Gilchrist is also the author of two picture books, Indigo and Moonlight Gold, and Madelia. She has an MFA in Writing, MA in Painting, and a Ph.D. in English. Ms. Gilchrist will be autographing In the Land of Words by Eloise Greenfield, Honey I Love by Greenfield, How They Got Over: African Americans and the Call of the Sea by Greenfield, For the Love of the Game, Michael Jordan, by Greenfield, and Singing Down the Rain by Joy Cowley, plus other titles.
John Gile is an award-winning author, journalist, editor, and publisher with more than three decades of education and experience in the world of print, electronic, and interpersonal communication. His books have made and topped bestseller lists and are used extensively by educators across America and abroad to strengthen communication skills, address conflict resolution, and foster character development. He has presented communication skill development and motivational programs to more than 500,000 in 43 states, Europe, and New Zealand and has been invited to address a broad spectrum of issues on numerous radio and television talk shows and for print media. He is a frequent speaker at Staff Development for Educators and International Reading Association Conferences and at other gatherings of educators and leaders in commerce and community service. Books that John will be autographing include: The First Forest; Keeping First Things First; Oh, How I Wished I Could Read; What Is That Thing? Whose Stuff Is This?
Harriett Gustason has been writing for The Journal-Standard, among other things, a weekly feature called "Looking Back" since she began working for the paper in August 1982. "Looking Back" features all kinds of illustrated stories about the people and institutions that have made life what it is in northwest Illinois. The Stephenson County Historical Society has published three volumes of the stories as they appeared chronologically in The Journal-Standard. Gustason is a native of Fairfield, Iowa. She moved to Freeport with her family when in 1972 her husband James' job was transferred here by Newell Cos. She is the mother of five, grandmother of a dozen and great-grandmother of one. She graduated from Highland Community College and has a bachelor of arts degree from Columbia College in Freeport. Before coming to Illinois, Gustason wrote for newspapers in southeast Iowa and has had her poems published in anthologies. She will be autographing her books, Looking Back, Volumes I, II, and III.
Sarah Knapp became a National Board Certified Teacher in 1999 as Middle-Child generalist. She holds a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Northern Illinois University and served as an Educator in Residence for Illinois State Board of Education for two years in Rockford. She has taught fifth grade self-contained gifted for 18 years and primarily middle school in Freeport district 145 for 30 years. She wrote the teacher resource book, Classroom Language Activities for Special Students (for grades 4 through 6) in 2001and will be autographing this book at the Family Book Fest.
Maria Lambrou (M.A. Kokos Lambrou), author, teacher (Illinois public schools in Palatine, Elmhurst, Western Springs and Naperville), and ACE certified fitness instructor, is the author of WWW.WINGS: Anything Is Possible When You Believe, a fiction chapter book that includes a special section at the end of each chapter, "Something to think about . . ." which engages the reader to reflect and think deeper about what they have read. Lambrou is also the author and illustrator of Get Up and Jump Around! an interactive sports and fitness poetry book, which gets children reading and moving. Lambrou does school visits as well as visits to physical fitness settings. Ms. Lambrou will be autographing WWW.WINGS: Anything Is Possible When You Believe.
Richard Larson (a.k.a. Hakon Revheim) was born above the mighty Mississippi in Savanna, IL, in 1949. He graduated from Stockton High School. In 1967. Richard was drafted into the Army in 1969 and spent fourteen months in Viet Nam. Richard's wife of thirty-four years is Connie. They have three grown children and three grandchildren. They live one mile west of Stockton. Richard has been a stonemason his whole life, working in the three most northwestern counties of Illinois. He finds that writing poetry helps him to make the slightest bit of sense out of this world today. Hakon (pronounced "hawk-un") Revheim is his pen name. His books include: Memoirs of a Northwest Illinois Boy; Odes, Poems, Thoughts and Quotes; More Odes, Stepping on Toes; and new for 2005; Out with the Ode, in with the New. Hakon will be autographing More Odes, Stepping on Toes and will take orders for his other books.
Kevin Luthardt is the author and illustrator of four picture books: Mine! (2001, Simon and Schuster-Atheneum Books), PEEP! (2003, Peachtree Publishers), Larabee (2004, Peachtree), and Hats! (2004, Albert Whitman). He has three upcoming books in the works, including You're Weird! (2005, Dial) and Zoom! written by Diane Adams (2005, Peachtree). His paintings and drawings are currently represented by Mars Gallery in Chicago. He is also a muralist, creating large-scale community mural projects in schools, libraries, churches, and other venues. Kevin loves using his work to teach and inspire students of all ages. In the past couple of years, he has spoken at over 200 schools, libraries, and conferences. Books that will be available at the Family Book Fest are Mine, Peep, Larabee, and Hats!
Clarence Mitchell was raised in the small town of Elizabeth, IL. Following many adventures that rival the fictional life of Huckleberry Finn, he was taken under the wing of journeymen printers and eventually joined their ranks. He worked his way up to Editorial Director at Kable Brothers, in Mt. Morris, IL. "Mitch," as he is known to his friends, has traveled widely in his 97 years and has observed momentous changes in both the printing industry and in American culture. Mitchell is an avid supporter of education and libraries. The Clarence Mitchell Library at Highland Community College is named in his honor. Mitchell recorded his reflections on the world around him in his earlier book, River Hill Soliloquy, published by the University of Illinois. His latest book, Diary of a Journeyman, which he'll be autographing at the Family Book Fest, gives readers a picture of the 20th century from Mitch's perspective as a keen and thoughtful observer.
Gen Parker's favorite high school teacher introduced her to good English and literature during her high school days, and she knew that some day she would try her skills at writing. Her first venture was in 1943, when she purchased The Scoop from the original owner. The Scoop was a weekly advertiser, containing ads and news, mostly from local people. It was distributed in Stockton by two local boys and sent to Pearl City and Kent by train. The entire publishing operation was done in her home, not with computer, but with typewriter and mimeograph. Having lived in Stockton since 1927 and seeing so many changes take place, Gen has written her story, "Growing up on Main Street." The Afterglow and Fanning the Embers, which will be available at the Family Book Fest, were published in 1994 and 2001, respectively. Gen wrote them to record her memories of some of the people she cared for in the long term care facility she built in 1959, Morgan Memorial Home.
Sandra Principe is the author of the murder mystery, Murder in Galena. A Chicago lawyer for twenty years, she moved to the Galena area in 1996 to write and paint. She is also the co-author of the cookbook, Ricette Italiane, a recipe book including both traditional and unique Italian recipes. Ms. Principe received her Juris Doctorate Degree and her Bachelor of Science in English Education from the University or Wisconsin, Madison. Ms. Principe's paintings have been shown in galleries and museums across the country, from Florida to California. Murder in Galena , which
she will be autographing, is her first novel. It is a unique combination of her special knowledge of Galena, Chicago, law, painting and mysteries.
Betty Schultz lives in Dixon, Illinois, where she resides
with her husband, Robert. She is an entrepreneur who takes great pleasure in
being able to say that she has dreamt her dream and has followed it to its
fruition. Having been born in Reedsburg, Wisconsin and raised in Lombard,
Illinois, she believes that country living and the experiences she had while
attending a one-room school left her with impressions of great possibilities
that could develop if one persevered. Her five children certainly played a
large role in stimulating her imagination, giving her the ideas for several of
her children's books. Mrs. Schultz's first book is titled Chooch. She
will be autographing Purple Patches, The Stairway From Here To There
and Morn of Mystery, which she wrote and published. She will also have
for sale, Just me, Barbara, written by Barbara Templeton, a poetry book
by a woman for women.
Tina Schwartz lives in Grayslake, Illinois with her husband Marc and their three children. She enjoys writing for children as well as meeting many, many kids while doing author visits at schools and book signings at stores. A Columbia College graduate, with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing Communication, Mrs. Schwartz worked in Advertising for several years until becoming a mother. She began writing and worked part-time as an Assistant Youth Librarian, and now writes full-time while staying home with her children. Tina is a self-proclaimed tomboy who enjoys playing sports, watching movies and loves dogs and children. You can see her latest book Motocross Freestyle and sign her guest book or set up an author visit by going to www.tinaPschwartz.com . She will be autographing her motocross book at the book fest.
Stephen Spyrison, DDS, is the co-author of For the Love of Community: Life Lessons from a small town, which is a collection of local stories similar to Chicken Soup for the Soul books. He also authored In God's Grace: A Spiritual Renaissance, for anyone who has questions that church or clergy have not answered, for those who go to church or who have stopped going or who never went and have unanswered questions about God, this book looks into a deeper understanding of the Creator, who He is and who He is not. Dr. Spyrison was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and raised in the Chicago suburb of Villa Park. He received his BS from Miami University of Oxford, Ohio, graduating with honors, and received his DDS from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry in Chicago. He practices general dentistry in Freeport and is married and has two sons and a daughter. He is very active in the community and was awarded the Quality of Life recognition in 2002. He is also active in outdoor pursuits, and has been instrumental in the development of the Jane Addams Trail, and is currently president of Northwest Illinois Trails Foundation. His current interest is in the seeking of Truth and helping others to understand God as a gentle, universally compassionate, accepting and non-judgmental Creator.
Mary Stayner is a first grade teacher at Stockton Elementary School. This is her 28th year of teaching , of which 17 were in the area of Special Education. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education from Illinois State University and a Masters Degree in Special Education from Northern Illinois University. She is currently enrolled in the national Master Teacher program. She has written a teacher's supplemental book for the special needs children in the classroom called C.L.A.S.S. (Classroom Language Activities for the Special Student)for K–3rd grades. She is in the process of writing a children's picture book entitled Dottie. At the Family Book Fest, Mary will be autographing her book for teachers.
Christine Swanberg's books of poetry include Tonight on this Late Road, Invisible String, Bead Upon the Waters, Slow Miracle, The Tenderness of Memory, and The Red Lacquer Room. Her poetry is included in anthologies: Key West, Knowing Stones: Poems of Exotic Travel, I Am Becoming the Woman I've Wanted, and Home for the Holidays. Over 250 of her poems appear in over 70 national magazines. Her awards include the Womanspace Womanspirit Award, the YWCA Blanche Starr Award for the Arts, several Rockford Arts Council grants, a Lannan Foundation grant, a merit scholarship from the Vermont Writing Program, as well as several poetry awards. She is a literary activist and has edited publications such as Korone, Confluence: A Literary Legacy of the Rock River Valley, and Connections. Christine will be autographing The Red Lacquer Room, Invisible String and Tambourine. Her display will contain additional books.
Dr. Roland Tolliver is father of four daughters and one son, husband, writer, and podiatrist from Freeport. He has served in various leadership roles for community organizations and projects, including Distinguished President and Lieutenant Governor in Kiwanis International. He is a recipient of the Stephenson County Quality of Life Award for 2003. Dr. Tolliver, along with his co-author, Dr. Stephen Spyrison, were the co- originators and chairmen of the Kids Kastle project in Krape Park in Freeport. Dr. Tolliver's books include For the Love of Community: Life Lessons from a Small Town, a collection of inspirational stories, poems, and essays by and about the people in Northwest Illinois. His second book, Late Night Lattés and Midnight Musings: A Dad Looks at Life, was released in 2002. He has been writing a column in The Journal Standard, "For the Love of Community," which has been appearing every Thursday in the Pulse section since 1999. Dr. Tolliver will be autographing the above books.
Sheila Kelly Welch 's short stories for children have been accepted by numerous magazines, including Cricket, Highlights for Children, Children's Playmate, Girls' Life, Ladybug, Spider, The Red Scarf (a Chinese children's magazine), Cicada and more. One of her novels for middle-grade readers, Don't Call Me Marda, was a national Benjamin Franklin Award finalist, and another, The Shadowed Unicorn, was nominated for SD's Prairie Pasque Award, similar to the Rebecca Caudill Award in IL. She and her husband have seven children and five grandchildren. Books Welch will be autographing include: A Horse for All Seasons, Land of Another Sun, Leaping Lena, Lazy Bones Jones, The Shadowed Unicorn, and several more.