Featured Authors - Saturday

Sarah Weeks

SARAH WEEKS has written more than fifty picture books and novels for children and young adults including the best selling novel, So B. It. Her picture book, Sophie Peterman Tells the Truth andthe novel, As Simple As It Seems, are two of her most recent contributions.In addition to writing, Sarah is an adjunct faculty member in the prestigious Writing Program at the New School University in New York City and a founding member of ART, a traveling troupe of authors who perform reader's theatre at conventions and conferences across the country. Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she splits her time between her homes in Nyack, NY and Callicoon Center, NY.  For more information about Sarah and her books please visit her at www.SarahWeeks.com.

Mike Wohnoutka

Ever since Mike can remember he knew he wanted to be an artist. His dad, who was an engineer at the Hiway Department, would bring home reams of paper that had hiway plans on one side and were blank on the other. Mike would be so excited to have all that paper to draw on and would fill each sheet with race cars, snowmobiles, baseball players, super heroes, everything he was interested in. In high school his art teacher, Mr. Chase, encouraged Mike to pursue art as a career. This, along with a scholarship, led him to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. Since graduating with a B.F.A. in Illustration, Mike has worked with various publishers, won awards, and been a frequent presenter.

Mike grew up in Spicer, Minnesota. He currently resides in Minneapolis with his wife, his own Wizzy Foot, Franklin and brand new daughter, Olivia.

Read more at: http://www.mikewohnoutka.com

Alison McGhee

This program is supported
by the Minnesota Book Awards
through a grant from the MN Dept of Education-State Library Services and the Minnesota Library Foundation. The Minnesota Book Awards is a project of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, in partnership with the Saint Paul Public Library and the City of Saint Paul. For more information on the Minnesota Book Awards, visit www.thefriends.org

Alison McGhee is a Pulitzer Prize nominee and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She writes for all ages and in all forms, from poetry and stories to novels and picture books and essays, and her books are popular with critics and readers alike. Her novel Shadow Baby was a Today Show Book Club pick, and her picture book Someday was featured on NPR. 

Several of her books have been Borders Original Voices selections, Booksense 76 picks, Children's Book of the Month club and Junior Literary Guild selections. 

Her many awards include four Minnesota Book Awards, the GLCA National Fiction Award, Friends of the American Library Award, Gold Oppenheimer Toy Portfolio Award, ALA Best Books for Children, and Parents' Choice Award, and a City Pages Artist of the Year award.

Alison is an associate professor of creative writing at Metropolitan State University, where she coordinates the creative writing program. She has taught at many other colleges and universities and was a founding member of Hamline University's
MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. 

Alison and fellow writer-teacher Brad Zellar also teach privately. If you're interested in taking one of their one- to three-day intensive, fun creative writing workshops, which are designed for all ages and experience levels, please check out librariesonfire.org for more information.

Read more at: http://www.alisonmcghee.com

Friday Afternoon Workshop with
Anita Silvey

The author of 100 Best Books for Children and 500 Great Books for Teens Anita Silvey has devoted 35 years to promoting books that will turn the young -- and families -- into readers. To do this she has appeared frequently on NPR, "The Today Show," "60 Minutes," and radio programs in the United States and Canada to talk about books for children and teenagers. As Publisher's Weekly has said "It would be hard to find a more authoritative voice than Anita Silvey." 

Ms. Silvey is the editor of Children’s Books and Their Creators, an overview of 20th Century children’s books. As she says in this volume, “Life is a banquet and most of us starve,” when it comes to knowledge about books for young readers. Sharing her passion and enthusiasm, she gives guidance and background for those trying to find the best books to give to the young. 

In a unique career in the children’s book field, Ms. Silvey has divided her time equally between publishing and evaluating children’s books. But her lifelong conviction that “only the very best of anything can be good enough for the young” 

Read more at:
http://www.anitasilvey.com

Dessert is made possible by the Friends of the Grand Rapids Area Public Library.

To show support of their Project Read each Conference attendee is asked to contribute a new or gently used early childhood book to Project Read. These will books will be made available for free to the parents and young children in the Grand Rapids Area. Say Thanks to the Friends with a book donation!

NEW! If you come the evening before...
Thursday evening soiree: 7pm -?
(no extra charge)

* Share your current favorite children's books
* Skype with author Mary Casanova
* Explore reading devices and ebook formats
* Wine and Chocolate tasting while you network with friends
* Rooms available at Sugar Lake Lodge for an additional 15% discount
* Box dinners available for purchase
Please join us!

!! Book discussion: Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick will take place on Thursday evening -- grab a copy and give it a read!