LITERATURE FESTIVAL DRAWS KIDS

Children from throughout the region snuggled up to some of their favorite authors Friday during the Children-Young Adults Literature Festival at Southeast Missouri State University.

Award-winning writers -- including Patricia Hermes, author of "My Girl" and "My Girl 2" -- gave students insight into how and why they do their jobs during the literature festival, a two-day event held to develop an interest in reading in student readers.

Also on hand were David Harrison, author of Somebody Catch My Homework, and Jan Greensberg, the author of five children's novels including "No Dragons to Slay" and "Bye Bye Miss American Pie."

More than 1,400 children and 200 adults from throughout Southeast Missouri registered for the event for the opportunity to meet authors making presentations during the event and maybe get a favorite book autographed afterwards.

Festival co-coordinator Ann Gifford said the festival primarily targets children in fourth through sixth grades because these are largely the target audiences for the presenters. Authors are usually recruited two years before a festival.

The festival is sponsored each year by the university's College of Education and the Southeast Department of Learning Resources, whose members are area school librarians.

Other sponsors include the Missouri State Teachers Association Southeast District, Southeast Missouri Council International Reading Association, the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri and Russ and Kim Mothershead of Midwest Agri-Chemico Inc.