Sandberg Literacy Institute to welcome children’s authors, illustrators

Bringing in children’s book authors and illustrators from across the nation, The University of Toledo Judith Herb College of Education will host the 37th Annual Sandberg Literacy Institute each weekday from 1:30 to 5:15 p.m. from Monday, June 15, through Friday, June 26, 2009, in the Scott Park Auditorium on Scott Park Campus.
 
Created by the late UT faculty member Dr. Herbert Sandberg, the institute features two weeks of workshops with 10 children's book authors and illustrators. This year's theme, "Mirrors on Ourselves, Windows on the World," reflects how children's literature enables persons to see themselves in new ways and learn more about other people, places and cultures throughout the world.
 
“Dr. Sandberg's enthusiasm for and enjoyment of children’s literature was contagious, and he took it as his mission to spread that enthusiasm and enjoyment to all with whom he came in contact,” said Dr. Jenny Denyer, UT associate professor of education. “The literature experiences of the children of northwest Ohio were greatly enriched because of Dr. Sandberg’s work with classroom teachers.”
 
Listed by date, this year’s authors and illustrators will be:
 
June 15 — James Bruchac (www.jamesbruchac.com), a naturalist, expert tracker and Native-American storyteller from the Adirondacks in New York, who thrilled the audience last year with a chilling ghost story from his collection, When the Chenoo Howls: Native American Tales of Terror.

June 16 & 17 — Alma Flor Ada (www.almaflorada.com) and F. Isabel Campoy (www.isabelcampoy.com), both prolific writers, recently have co-authored Authors in the Classroom: A Transformative Education Process, a book especially for teachers, with practical guides and prompts to get children, parents and teachers writing. "This book represents the fruits of eight years of joint efforts of encouraging teachers to dare to experience the joy of writing," Ada wrote on her Web site.
 
June 18 — Wendy Halperin, www.wendyhalperin.com;
June 19 — Heather Henson, www.heatherhensonbooks.com;
June 22 — Phil Bildner, www.philbildner.com;
June 23 — Marc Tyler Nobleman, noblemania.blogspot.com;
June 24 — Mike Spradlin, www.michaelspradlin.com;
June 25 — Yona McDonough, www.yonazeldismcdonough.com; and
June 26 — Marc Harshman, www.marcharshman.com.

“Children who come to associate books and reading as pleasurable, magical, inspiring and interesting are more likely to be highly motivated to learn to read for themselves and more likely to become readers for life,” said Dr. Susanna Hapgood, UT assistant professor of education. “We want all children to have access to the fabulous stories and fascinating ideas that books can provide. An early start — with adults that the children love and respect at home and at school — will help lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning.”
 
Authors’ books for autographing will be available for purchase on site. More information on each speaker and the institute is available at UT’s Sandberg Literacy Institute Web site at http://www.utoledo.edu/education/sandberg/index.html.
 
UT students can attend the whole institute for undergraduate or graduate course credit but must be able to show their UT student status when registering. (Eee Web site.) All others interested in the institute (but not for course credit) are invited; the cost is $10 per day for UT students and $30 per day for all other guests. Parking passes will be available on site for a nominal fee.
 
For more information, contact either Denyer at jenn[email protected] or Hapgood at [email protected] .