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Maureen Lasley, LitFest Director, with 8th graders
from Vista Middle School, 2004
A Look Back...
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Tehama County Office of Education Presents LitFest ’08 Authors Michael Garland Robert San Souci Vivian Vande Velde
These books will be sold by the Tehama Co. Dept. of Education at LitFest (March 17), the author visits (March 17-21), and the Author Dinner.
Printable Author Book Sale Order Form "I guess I was in fourth
grade when I decided to do children's books. I was not a particularly good
student. I would tell one kid to bang erasers over another kid's head, and
then I would laugh. They sent me to the library which was the
"time—out" place if you were outrageous. They put a stack of books
in front of you, and for years I thought picture books were either about
girls picking flowers or long—dead white inventors. I couldn't stand them.
Then I read Where the Wild Things Are, and it changed the way I looked at
books—When I saw Where the Wild Things Are, I thought, "Boy, a guy who gets
to draw monsters!" I would love to do this
forever because when I get calls or letters from kids who say, "I am
this person," or, "I love that book," that's the reward.
That's the payoff. When you go to a school and they love you, that's the
reward. I visit schools as often as I can. I actually enjoy performing more
than doing books because when we're doing the retelling of a fairy tale, or
we're lampooning Disney for its horrible vision of women and the Ken dolls
that are the heroes, the energy just fires up. I start laughing until the
tears come out of my eyes. I love it intensely." Selected
Books Written by Michael Garland
Miss Smith Incredible Storybook written by Michael Garland When the new
teacher, Miss Smith, reads to her class, Zack and his classmates are amazed
to find that the storybook characters come to life.
written by Michael Garland With the help of
fairies, Seamus the farmer and his scrawny goat, Finny, win top honors at the
King Puck festival in Killorglin, Ireland, and receive a lifetime supply of
books. These books will be sold by the Tehama Co. Dept. of Education
at LitFest (March 17), the author visits (March 17-21), and the Author
Dinner.
“I am a native of California. I was born in San Francisco and still
reside in The City by the Bay. The city will always be "home base"
for me, but my travels have taken me all across the country, where I have
found inspiration for many of my books: KATE SHELLEY: Bound for Legend
(Iowa), THE TALKING EGGS (Louisiana), LITTLE GOLD STAR (New Mexico), and CUT
FROM THE SAME CLOTH : American Women of Myth, Legend, and Tall Tale
(representing 15 areas of the United States). Of course, I love it when a
book lets me celebrate my home state - such as TWO BEAR CUBS, a retelling of
the traditional Miwok story with its setting in California's magnificent
Yosemite Valley. But my books - many of them retellings of traditional tales -
celebrate peoples and places all around the world. My most recent books
include THE RELUCTANT DRAGON: Retold from the Classic Tale by Kenneth
Grahame, LITTLE PIERRE: A Cajun Story from Louisiana, DOUBLE-DARE TO BE
SCARED: Another Thirteen Chilling Tales, and THE WELL AT THE END OF THE
WORLD. Other stories stretch from Armenia to Australia - each, I hope, helping
young readers discover how much we share in common with people around the
world, while underscoring just how rich, unique, and wise many of these
sometimes unfamiliar cultures are in their diverse histories and traditions. I have been lucky - since I am mainly a picture book writer who
cannot do illustrations - to have been able to work with illustrators from
all across the country - and others who live as far away as Moscow or Mexico
City. Of course, my favorite illustrator is another California native: my
brother Daniel San Souci. We have so far published nine books together - TWO
BEAR CUBS being the latest - and look forward to working on many more books
in the future. Books were always important in my family. My parents read
continually, and our house was well supplied with books of all sorts. I can
remember poring over my father's copies of Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates or
Knights of the Round Table when I could first read. Later, when I was older,
I began to build my own "library" filling up shelves with books I
bought from used bookstores with the monies I earned (25¢ an hour) mowing
neighborhood lawns. What wonderful worlds the Oz books, Stowaway to the
Mushroom Planet, Miss Pickerel under the Sea, Alice in Wonderland, Henry
Huggins, Black Beauty opened up to me! I found wonderful worlds of the
magically unfamiliar or the familiar made to seem magic through the words of
countless writers. Books delighted and inspired me as a child - they continue to do
so! I feel privileged to be a writer - and nothing is more wonderful then to
have a young reader come up to me after a presentation at a school or library
and say: "I love your books. They take me places I wish I could be. They
make me feel happy. They teach me things. I think I want to be a writer,
too!" As a writer, I'm always trying to push myself in my writing.
CINDERELLA SKELETON is my first book all in rhyme - and I had the double
pleasure of writing the film story for Disney's MULAN and publishing my
original, historically grounded retelling of the classic tale, FA MULAN,
based on the nearly 2,000-year-old "Ballad of Mulan". From Robert San
Soucci’s website.
BRAVE MARGARET: An
Irish Adventure by Robert D. San
Souci Illustrated by Sally
Wern Comport Publisher: Simon
& Schuster Books for Young Readers, c1999. Adapted from an Irish folktale, this story tells of Margaret, a
young woman who sets sail with handsome Simon and his crew only to be set
upon by a sea serpent, washed ashore alone, and rescued by an old woman. The
crone awaits a champion to slay the giant who has driven her from her castle.
Simon arrives to find Margaret, stays to challenge the giant, and in the end
is rescued by Margaret, after she realizes that she is the intended champion:
"What fools we are for thinking it must be a man who slays that great,
dirty giant!" - Booklist
(Vol. 95, No. 13 (March 1, 1999)
Publisher: Hyperion
Paperbacks for Children, 2000, c1998. A retelling of the
original Chinese poem in which a brave young girl masquerades as a boy and
fights the Tartars in the Khan's army. These books will be sold by the Tehama Co. Dept. of Education at LitFest (March 17), the author visits (March 17-21), and the Author Dinner.
Visit
Vivian Vande velde's Website “I became a writer because I love stories--all kinds of stories,
but especially fantasy. I can't
remember a time before I wanted to be a writer. My parents did a great job of convincing me I could do
whatever I set my mind to. I was born in 1951 and have lived almost my entire
life in Rochester, New York. I
married Jim Vande Velde. (So,
yes, Vivian Vande Velde is my real name.) When our daughter Beth was born, I quit my job as a
secretary. Since I was home all day, I had to either take housework more
seriously or come up with a good excuse why I couldn't. So this was the point
where I had to stop saying "Someday I'm going to be a writer," and
do something about it. The first book I wrote was A Hidden Magic. I am the author of more than 20 books, primarily for middle
grade students and teens, mostly science fiction and fantasy (including A
Hidden Magic, Smart Dog, Never Trust a Dead Man, and Troll Teacher) ” From Vivian
Vande Velde’s website
Selected books written by Vivian Vande Velde
Publisher: Houghton
Mifflin, 2005. Gr 8 Up-This novel opens with a portion of a letter written by
Brother Lucien to his sister in 1471. In it, he describes a conversation he
had with Sir Thomas Malory about the lack of information on Mordred in Le
Morte D'Arthur, arguing the merits of including the knight's heroic acts. The
book then proceeds to convey events as seen through the eyes of three women
who knew him well. Their stories overlap and provide a complete picture of
Mordred, fleshing out a portrait of the knight who betrayed Arthur and caused
the breakup of the Round Table. Readers will catch glimpses of the
exceptional qualities that made him a knight as well as the inner turmoil
that caused him to tear Camelot apart. Though all of the characters are well
developed and have a strong presence throughout, teens will be especially
interested in Keira, who is 5 in the first section of the book, but 15 by the
end. Her angst will reflect many of the same conflicts that teenagers face
today-the need to belong and the need to be treated as an adult. Mordred also
provides an intriguing counterpoint to anyone who is interested in Arthurian
legend, the roles that magic played in Camelot, and in seeing Arthur's son in
a new light.- June H. Keuhn, Corning East High School, NY Copyright 2005 Reed
Business Information. School Library Journal (October 1, 2005)
Publisher: Harcourt,
c2002. Gr 6- up- All of the elements of a good fantasy are present in this
adventure. Giannine Bellisario is about to celebrate her 14th birthday. This
year, she actually receives a present from her father on time. It is a gift
certificate to any Rasmussem Gaming Center Virtual Reality Arcade. Crossing a
picket line formed by CPOC (Citizens to Protect Our Children) to enter, she
decides to use her certificate for a total-immersion game called Heir
Apparent. The object is to be crowned king. When the demonstrators damage the
center, the protagonist is on her own and must complete the game successfully
in order to escape permanent brain damage… Challenges range from barbarian
attacks and peasant uprisings to a giant dragon. In addition, the half
brothers and the hostile queen have treacherous plans to keep the crown for
themselves. This adventure includes a cast of intriguing characters and
personalities. The feisty heroine has a funny, sarcastic sense of humor and
succeeds because of her ingenuity and determination. This unique combination
of futuristic and medieval themes will appeal to fans of fantasy and science
fiction.- Lana Miles, Duchesne Academy, Houston, TX Copyright 2002 Cahners
Business Information. - School Library Journal (October 1, 2002) These books will be sold by the Tehama Co. Dept. of Education at LitFest (March 17), the author visits (March 17-21), and the Author Dinner. |
Students enjoying pizza snack, 2004 LitFest 2008
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