On Saturday, September 27th, 2014, the Center for Teaching through Children’s Books, in partnership with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Illinois Chapter, and SCIRA (The Suburban Council of the International Reading Association), presented our 5th annual Local Author/Illustrator Showcase for the 2014-15 school year.

Our morning session included author/illustrator visits with the following guests: Suzanne Slade, W. Nikola-Lisa (Gyroscope Books), Natasha Tarpley, Laurie Lawlor, Miriam Busch, Jim Aylesworth, Larry Day, Rachel Wilson, Ami Polonsky, Brianna DuMont, Lori Degman, Laura Montenegro, Jude Mandell, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, Chris Rylander, Nancy Stevenson, Marlene Targ Brill, Scott Gustafson, Fern Schumer, Cindy Kenney

Our afternoon session featured an additional professional development opportunity, a conversation with a local author/illustrator, a keynote by W. Nikola-Lisa, intimate Writer’s Workshop breakouts with SCBWI authors:

Suzanne Slade: Practical Ways to Inspire Students to Read & Write about STEM Topics - (true confessions of an engineer who hated writing, now turned children's author who LOVES writing!)
Natasha Tarpley: What We Talk About When We Talk About Diversity
Laurie Lawlor: Teaching Writing to Students (Common Core Curriculum Focus Workshop)