ELEMENTARY SPEAKER

Bruce Coville is the author of 90 books for children and young adults, including the international bestseller MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN, and the wildly popular UNICORN CHRONICLES series. He has been, at various times, a teacher, a toymaker, a magazine editor, a gravedigger, and a cookware salesman. He is also the founder of FULL CAST AUDIO, an audiobook publishing company devoted to producing full cast, unabridged recordings of material for family listening. Mr. Coville lives in Syracuse, New York, with his wife, illustrator Katherine Coville.

Bruce Coville

Sharon Draper

Tears of a Tiger (Simon and Schuster, 1994)
Forged by Fire (Simon and Schuster, 1997)
Darkness Before Dawn (Simon and Schuster, 2001)
Romiette and Julio (Simon and Schuster, 1999)
Double Dutch (Simon and Schuster, 2002)
The Battle of Jericho (Simon and Schuster, 2003)
Copper Sun (Simon and Schuster, 2006) Starred review. Booklist
We Beat the Street (Dutton, 2005)
Teaching from the Heart (Heinemann, 1999)
Not Quite Burned Out But Crispy Around the Edges (Heinemann, 2001)
Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs: The Buried Bones Mystery (Simon and Schuster, 2006)
Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs: Lost in the Tunnel of Time (Simon and Schuster, 2006)

MIDDLE SCHOOL/ JR. HIGH SPEAKER

Sharon M. Draper is a professional educator as well as an accomplished writer. She has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year, is a three-time winner of the Coretta Scot King Literary Award, and is a New York Times bestselling author. Last year she was named Ohio Pioneer in Education by the Ohio State Department of Education.

Her literary recognition began when, as a challenge from one of her students, she entered and won first prize in a literary contest, for which she was awarded $5000 and the publication of her short story, "One Small Torch." She has published numerous poems, articles, and short stories in a variety of literary journals.

HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL SPEAKER

She worked as a news reporter and editor for United Press International for ten years in Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, New York, and Washington, DC. She later worked as a part time foreign news editor for The Washington Post . She returned to Pakistan in 1985 to assess the lives of poor rural women on an assignment with the United States Agency for International Development.

She lives on a farm in northeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, Wayne Harley, and two standard poodles. Her other interests include music, gardening, hiking, kayaking, and reading.

Suzanne Staples

Shabanu Daughter of the Wind , a 1990 Newbery Honor book and its the sequel, Haveli , Dangerous Skies , and Shiva's Fire all of which have won numerous awards.Her most recent novel about Afghan refugees set in Pakistan and Afghanistan was released in the fall of 2005. Its title is Under the Persimmon Tree .

BANQUET SPEAKER

Joe McHugh is a storyteller, writer, musician, and award-winning radio producer with over twenty-eight years experience in the arts and education. www.americanfamilystories.org

WESTWARD Ho-Washington Radio Play mp3 file to download and listen to!

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Mr. Antonetti has had the great fortune to teach at all grade levels. He has taught kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. John served as the supervisor of gifted programs in the 18 districts of the Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative before moving to Sheridan, Arkansas.

While his hands-on work in schools is his passion, he is also a highly-sought keynote speaker. His humor and parables are recognized by teachers, administrators, and parents as relevant examples of the power of teachers. more...

John Antonetti