District 58 students got the chance to hear about the art of storytelling from some of the best in their field during the 2012 Author Fest Feb. 15-17.

Authors came to Downers Grove from all over the country during the annual event to talk about how they became writers, discuss their craft, answer students’ questions about the writing and/or illustrating process and talk about careers in literature. Visiting authors for 2012 included Jim Aylesworth, Phil Bildner, Henry Cole, Carolyn Crimi, Larry Day, Judy Fradin, James Kennedy, W. Nicola-Lisa, Craig Pierce,  S.L. Rottman and Sally M. Walker.

The Fest alternates each year between the north side schools and the south side schools, and this year Belle Aire, Henry Puffer, Highland, Hillcrest, Lester and Pierce Downer participated, as well as Herrick and O’Neill middle schools.

Students were riveted by the experience.

Henry Cole thrilled students by accomplishing a fully formed sketch of one of his characters in less than five minutes, and James Kennedy regaled students with tales of his experiences (and antics) as a world-traveled writer. Carolyn Crimi gave students a peek into her writing process, and Craig Pierce shared the story of his dog, Honey, while the gentle greyhound herself lay quietly by his side. During writing workshops she conducted at the middle schools, S.L. Rottman helped students flesh out the creative writing process by having them focus on the distinguishing characteristics of a particular apple.

The Learning Resource Centers at each participating school, as well as the classroom teachers, immerse students in the works of the visiting author before he or she comes to their school. Through careful organization and coordination of inter-library loans, the District 58 Media Services Office makes sure each participating school has books by each author.

The three-day event wrapped up with a book-signing featuring the authors and illustrators at the Downers Grove Public Library on Feb. 17. This event was open to the public.

Author Festival is sponsored by the Downers Grove Area Council of Parent-Teacher Associations and the PTAs of the participating schools, with additional support from the Downers Grove Public Library and Anderson’s Bookshop in Downers Grove.

This year’s Fest was organized by PTA Council Vice President Lara Vazquez in conjunction with the PTAs of the participating schools, which also provide the funding for the authors’ appearances at their buildings.