District 181 Schools Welcome Noted Children's Authors

4th and 5th grade students at Elm, he Lane, Oak, and Monroe Schools recently enjoyed a visit from authors Dan Gutman, Jon Scieszka, and Jeramey Kraatz. Sponsored by HarperCollins Publishers in partnership with Anderson’s Bookshop, the event was a competition of sorts between Elm (supporting Gutman) and The Lane (supporting Kraatz), with Scieszka serving as the master of ceremonies. Each school earned points for correct answers about the presentations and how well they cheered for their respective authors. Both schools won a set of books written by the visitors. Monroe and Oak School students watched the event remotely from their schools. The schools’ Media Resource Center Directors arranged the program collaboratively.

Gutman is the author of over 100 titles, including “The Genius Files” series and the “My Weirder School” series. Kraatz is a new author with the recently released “Clock Society.” Scieszka is the name behind “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,” “Robot Zot,” and “Knucklehead.”