MORE THAN 1,500 TO ATTEND LITERATURE FESTIVAL IN CAPE GIRARDEAU; AUTHORS TO BE ON HAND TO STIMULATE STUDENTS

Avi is familiar with books and literature; he has served as a college librarian and he is a teacher of children's literature.

Avi is also an author who has written several books, including "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle," last year's Newbery Honor Book.

Although he has written a variety of books, he has received at leAst two awards for his mystery novels, and his ghost stories are a favorite among young people.

He is known only as Avi-37, and his books are popular in Cape Girardeau. A check of the 11 titles at the Cape Girardeau Public Library Tuesday revealed that only one of them was available.

Avi, of Providence, R.I., will be one of three guest authors at the annual Children-Young Adult's Literature Festival at the University Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus Thursday and Friday.

Besides his award-winning book of last year, Avi's list includes the "Devils Race," "Romeo and Juliet, Together (And Alive) At Last," "Something Upstairs" and "Who Stole the Wizard of Oz."

Other authors who will attend the festival are Dean Hughes of Provo, Utah, and Betty Miles of Rockland County, N. Y.

Activities get under way at 8:30 each morning with book sales by the authors. Students will rotate to three different presentations by Miles, Hughes and Avi starting at 9 a.m. Afternoon sessions with authors will be held Thursday at 12:30, 1:15, and 1:55 p.m.

The Friday session will end at noon.

"The annual event is designed to inspire students to read, to think, to ask questions of the authors," said Vickie Holyfield, festival chairperson. "Some youngsters may even want to become authors."

The program has been popular and successful each year.

"We have more than 1,400 students and teachers registered for the event," said Holyfield. "They'll be coming here from a wide area of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. We have one group of students from Ouachita Baptist University of Arkadelphia, Ark."

Students will attend from several Cape Girardeau schools: Washington, Alma Schrader, Cape Central Junior High, Schultz and St. Vincent.

Other schools participating in the festival are Nell Holcomb, Scott City, Charleston, East Prairie, Oran, New Madrid, Leopold, Kennett, Ste. Genevieve, Bell City, Scott Central, Emmanuel Lutheran of Perryville, Meadow Heights, Perryville public schools, Fisk, Campbell, Malden, Doniphan, Fredericktown, Gideon, Delta, Bloomfield, St. Joseph of Scott City and Shawnee Junior High of Wolf Lake, Ill.

Sponsors for the festival this year are Southeast Missouri State University's College of Education and department of learning resources, an organization of area school librarians. Contributors also include Southeast Missouri Council on The Arts and the Southeast Missouri Council of the International Reading Association.

Corporate sponsors include Burger King, Boatmen's Bank, Wal-Mart, M&W Packaging Inc., Saueressig Co., and NPS of Perryville.

Authors Hughes and Miles have participated in the local festival in past years.

Hughes will be in the area two weeks. He is currently visiting school in Poplar Bluff, and will visit Kelley Elementary School. Hughes, who specializes in historical fiction and humor, is author of such titles as "Nutty Knows All" and "Nutty. The Movie Star," along with the "Angel Park All Stars."

Miles' latest book is "Save the Earth." She said she wrote it because she cares about what's happening to the environment and believes that children can really help to save it.

Other books by Miles, who also writes in a humorous vein, include "Sink or Swim," "Secret Life of the Underwear Champ," and "I Would if I Could."