VaBook!

Participants - VABook! 2005

• fiction
• mystery & suspense
• nonfiction
• poetry & songwriting
• publishing & exhibitors
• youth & family

Youth & Family

John Amos teaches English at St. Anne's-Belfield School in Charlottesville.  His column, " Every Now and Then," ranges from  poetry to boxing, from country music to small-town life - appear weekly in The Orange County Review. School visit

Mary Batten is the author of Who Has a Belly Button?, Hey Daddy! Animal Fathers and their Babies, and Aliens from Earth: When Animals and Plants Invade Other Ecosystems. She writes nature/science books for children of all ages on a variety of topics.

Cece Bell, author of Sock Monkey Boogie Woogie, grew up in Salem, Virginia, and somehow managed to make a decent living by drawing stuff.She lives in Ironto, Virginia,  with two dogs, a boy, and a man. School visits and StoryFest

Margot Bergman is the illustrator of Call Me Sugar Plum. She received her M.F.A. from James Madison University and has taught art classes there and at Eastern Mennonite University. StoryFest 3/19

Kathy Coleman, born among the tradition-keepers in the coal fields of Wise County, VA has made the preservation and perpetuation of Appalachian folklore her life's work. School visits

Jane Cutler is author of 15 children's books including The Cello of Mr. O, a 2000 Patterson Award winner. Her latest books, Rose and Riley and Common Sense and Fowls, appear this spring. Schools visits and 3/19 4 p.m.

Katharine D. Erskine's first book is the young adult novel Ibhubesi: The Lion. After a law career, she returned to the career she began at at three: writing. School visits

Frances Furlong, co-founder and artistic director of The Old Michie Theatre,  studied theatre and puppetry at Brown University, The Smithsonian Institution, and The Shakespeare Institute in England. She holds a master's degree in Drama and Theatre Education from UVA.  School visit.

Joanne Gabbin's first children's book is I Bet She Called Me Sugar Plum. She is Director of the JMU Honors Program, founder of the Furious Flower Poetry Center, and owner/director of the 150 Franklin Street Art Gallery in Harrisonburg.  StoryFest

Steven Isserlis, world-renowned cellist, is the author of Why Beethoven Threw the Stew : And Lots More Stories about the Lives of Great Composers. He is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and was named Classical Musician of the Year by London's Time Out in 2002. 3/16 4 p.m.; 7:30 p.m. concert (ticketed event).

John Halliday has written Shooting Monarchs for young adults and Predicktions for children in grades 4-6. Director of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and lives in Charlottesville with his wife and four children. School visit.

Jen Hoffman is a member of the nationally syndicated children's radio program, Tell Us A Tale (www.TellUsATale.com). Jen also performs in local theatre productions and is currently working on producing and hosting a cooking program for television. 3/20 noon

Susan Hull, of Madison County, is a UVa M.F.A. program graduate. Her work appears in Virginia Country, Iris, Tough Times Companion, and Sewanee Review. Western Albemarle High School Drama Department will produce her play, Mountain Home, at the festival. 3/16 2 p.m.; 3/17 8 p.m. (production)

Sara Hoagland Hunter is the author of eight books, including the children's book, The Unbreakable Code, the inspiring story of the WWII Navaho Code Breakers. In addition, she writes for Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, and Jim Henson Productions. School visits.

Paul DuBois Jacobs and Jennifer Swender have written My Subway Ride, about the subways of New York. They are a husband and wife writing team specializing in children's books and curriculum materials.  School visits.

Peter Jones is the host and producer of the nationally syndicated children's radio program, Tell Us A Tale (TellUsATale.com). He is working on a series of original stories and adaptations of traditional tales for both cd and print publication. School visits and 3/20 noon

Barbara Kaiser, early childhood consultant, family counsellor and teaches at Acadia University, Nova Scotia. She is co-author of Meeting the Challenge: Effective Strategies for Challenging Behaviours in Early Childhood Environments and Challenging Behavior in Young Children: Understanding, Preventing, and Responding. StoryFest 3/19

Steven Krasner, author of Play Ball Like the Hall of Famers, is a sports writer covering baseball for the Providence Journal for over 20 years. The author of several children's books and a literacy and creative writing consultant, he resides in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. School visits.

Jarrett J. Krosoczka is the author and illustrator of a number of popular children's books including Baghead and Max for President.  A graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, Jarrett now lives in Boston, MA.  School visits.

Barbara Spilman Lawson presents storytelling sessions and workshops at a variety of venues.  A former elementary school teacher, she also performs in and directs and producers theater productions and is founder of Fun Stuff Publications. School visits.

Mary E. Lyons has received numerous awards and honors for her books for young readers. A former reading specialist and school librarian, she lives in Charlottesville. Her newest books are Roy Makes a Car and the Ancient American World. School visits

Gerome Meminger, Sr., retired Veteran of the United States Army, resides in Hampton, Virginia, with his wife Linda.  An artist and author. Gerome authored and self-published two books: Poetry Art & Truth and The Lonely Little Blue Book. School visits.

Guy Miller, UVa Law School Alumnus, retired IBM lawyer and volunteer, has read with Venable Elementary School students and at Therapeutic Recreation programs.  He has been a puppeteer and amateur magician for Charlottesville Recreation Services. School visits.

Karine (Boulle) Nguyen-Tuong is a language teacher, photographer and author of Arnold, the Smiling Horse. She is currently teaching at St. Anne's-Belfield and hard at work dreaming up brand new adventures. School visits.

Mary Quattlebaum is author of 12 picture books, novels and poetry books for children, including Family Reunion and Jackson Jones and Mission Greentop. Her awards include Parenting's Reading Magic Award, Marguerite de Angeli Prize, and inclusion on state reading lists. School visits.

Darrell Rose, master drummer in the West African tradition, performs nationwide as a featured solo artist and as the leader of his ensemble, Afrikan Drum Festival.  As an artist-in-residence in area schools, he shares the joy of drumming. School visits.

Marcia Silvermetz is the author of Gertrude the Albino Frog and Her Friend Rupert the Turtle. She has a B.A. in Psychology/Biology and an M.Ed. in Sports Medicine. She lives in Charlottesville. School visits.

Jennifer Swender and Paul DuBois Jacobs are a husband and wife writing team specializing in children's books and curriculum materials.  My Subway Ride is the first book they’ve written together. School visits.

Valerie Tripp is the author of the Hopscotch Hill School series. She wrote the Felicity, Josefina, Kit, and Molly series and three of the books in the Samantha series for the American Girls Collection. She holds an M. Ed. from Harvard University.

Ruth Vander Zee writes picture books dealing with the drama of history and the moral choices made during difficult times. Her books Erika's Story and Mississippi Morning bring urgent politics into personal life for children in 4th grade and above. School visits.

Ray-Mond L. White, fulltime artist, studied at Piedmont Virginia Community College and Virginia Commonwealth University. His art on paper bags uses mixed media, pastels, and pencil. He gives workshops about art on recyclable materials. School visits.

Tim White has been involved in all aspects of theatre for thirty-five years and had taught at both the secondary and collegiate levels. Last fall he received the Education Award from the Piedmont Council of the Arts. School visits and Saturday StoryFest

WHTJ - PBS Charlottesville is sponsoring its tenth annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest for Central Virginia. StoryFest 3/19

Jean O. Wilhelm develops programs and workshops integrating drama with history and English curricula for students and teachers, grades K-8. Her work on Piedmont Council for the Arts and other boards focuses on arts education. School visits.

WVPT - PBS Harrisonburg covers the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia. School visits.