Featured authors and illustrators for the 2009 festival
John Archambault
John Archambault is a children’s writer
dedicated to making reading comfortable, stimulating, and above all, fun for
young readers. Archambault knew early on that he wanted to be a writer after he
read Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. John began writing for his local newspaper
as a high-school student and then into college as the editor of his campus
newspaper.
Archambault’s books include Chicka
Chicka Boom Boom, chosen to be included in the Twenty-first Century
Literature Collection; and The Ghost-Eye Tree, a Children’s Choice
designation and Irma Simonton Black Honor Book. He has enjoyed a productive and
successful collaboration with Bill Martin Jr. with whom he shares an interest
in creating books meant to be seen and heard, as well as read. Their titles
include Little Seashore Books, Knots on a Counting Rope and Barn
Dance! Archambault is also an accomplished songwriter and has recorded
several CDs of children’s tunes.
For his children’s day presentation,
Archambault will inspire the audience with “The Power of Your Imagination.”
Web: johnarchambault.com
Herm and MJ Auch
MJ Auch: Summer visits to both of her grandmothers
taught MJ that a flock of chickens had a range of personalities from the quiet,
shy chicken to the big bully. This love and fascination with chickens still
influences her life and work today. Growing up, MJ loved books and read
constantly. Her interest in drawing led her to become an art major at Skidmore College. She designed prints for men’s pajamas until enrolling in the Occupational
Therapy program at Columbia University.
When MJ met Herm they fell in love at
first sight and moved from the city to a small farm, complete with chickens,
geese and ducks. After their children were older, MJ took a week-long
children’s writing conference on Cape Cod. She started sending manuscripts to
publishers, and ended up writing nine books for middle schoolers. The Easter
Egg Farm was her first picture book.
Web: mjauch.com
Herm Auch:
In high school, Herm painted sets for
school plays. He enrolled as an illustration major at Rochester Institute of
Technology and earned a B.F.A. degree. After meeting and marrying MJ, Herm had
a weekly editorial cartoon called “Herm Auch’s Rochester.”
Things changed when Herm saw the first
MacIntosh computer and purchased one to help him with his writing. Over time,
Herm began using the computer for more and more complex tasks, specializing in
informational graphics. Herm made his first venture into children’s books by
illustrating I Was A Third Grade Science Project, written by MJ. After
forty years as a newspaper graphic artist, Herm retired in 2000 to pursue a new
career as a children’s book illustrator.
For their children’s day presentation,
the Auchs will demonstrate how they combine very different types of
illustration (painting, sculpting and digital) into one amazing book.
David Biedrzycki
David Biedrzycki was born in Pennsylvania. For as long as he can remember, he loved to draw, and while he drew all the
time, sometimes it got him into trouble with his teachers. David’s 4
th
grade teacher entered one of his drawings into a contest at a local museum. He
won first place for 4
th grade students!
David graduated from Kutztown State University, moved to Boston and produced illustrations for newspapers, magazines,
ad agencies and design firms. He has illustrated many books, loves to work in
his studio and visit schools. David is married to his best friend, Kathy and
they have three children.
For his children’s day presentation,
Biedrzycki will bring his illustrations to life on a digital drawing pad,
creating a unique illustration that children will be able to access on the web.
Web: davidbiedrzycki.com
Carmen Deedy
Carmen Deedy has been traveling around
the world, writing and telling stories for almost 20 years. The award-winning
author of numerous best-selling children’s books draws from her love of
laughter, Cuban folklore, family and
café cubano in her newest picture
book,
Martina, the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale. Deedy promises
readers they may never think of cockroaches in the same way again.
Deedy has contributed stories for three
textbooks, and her earliest book, Agatha’s Feather Bed: Not Just Another
Wild Goose Story, is being re-issued in Spanish. Other previously published
work include: The Yellow Star, The Library Dragon, The Last Dance, The
Secret of Old Zeb, and TreeMan. Deedy was born in Havana, Cuba, and emigrated with her family during the Cuban Revolution to Decatur, Geo., near Atlanta.
For her children’s day presentation,
audiences will be mesmerized by Deedy’s storytelling ability whether it is a
folk tale, a story about growing up or a something from great literature.
Web: carmendeedy.com
John Erickson
John R. Erickson is a fifth generation
Texan, raised in the small panhandle town of Perryton. He has a degree from the
University of Texas, studied two years at Harvard Divinity School, and left Harvard three hours short of a master’s degree in theology.
After marrying Kristine Dykema in 1967,
he spent 15 years writing in the early morning hours and working at odd jobs.
After receiving hundreds of rejection slips from New York publishers, he
started his own publishing company in his garage and self-published the first
ten Hank the Cowdog stories. Hank the Cowdog is now a nationally-known
character, and his books and tapes have sold in the millions.
For his children’s day presentation, Erickson
and his banjo will bring to life the characters from his award-winning Hank
the Cowdog series through songs and readings.
Web: hankthecowdog.com
Gordon Korman
Gordon Korman is a
New York Times bestselling
author of more than sixty books for kids and young adults, most recently
Swindle, The Juvie Three, and
One False Note, the second
installment in the multi-author series
The 39 Clues. His writing
career began at the age of 12 when his seventh grade English assignment became
his first published novel.
Now, thirty-one years later, he is a full-time writer and
speaker, with over fifteen million copies of his novels in print. His books
have been translated into French, Swedish, Danish, Spanish, Norwegian, Chinese,
Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, Dutch, Greek and Thai. Each year he travels extensively, visiting schools and libraries, bringing his trademark humor
and adventure styles to readers everywhere.
A native of Ontario, Canada, he lives with his
family in Long Island, New York.
For his children’s day presentation, Korman will talk about his
writing process, including brainstorming, character development and dialogue,
and he will relate his experiences as a kid in the book business.
Preston McDaniels
Ten years ago,
Preston McDaniels, a print shop designer and piano salesman in Aurora, Neb., turned his drawing hobby into a career. Since then, he has illustrated 25
books, including all the books in Cynthia Rylant’s award-winning
Lighthouse
Family series, and the
Phineas MacGuire series written by Frances
O’Roark Dowell.
In addition to
illustrating, he has also written his first book, A Perfect Snowman. His
illustrations have been compared to the early work of Maurice Sendak and Arthur
Rackham. Recently, McDaniels designed the Omaha Public Library’s new patron
card for children. Preston and his wife live in Aurora.
For his
children’s day presentation, McDaniels will discuss where an idea comes from,
and how a book is made from that idea.
Web:
leebooksellers.com