HEATHER HEPLER and BRAD BARKLEY are the co-authors of SCRAMBLED EGGS AT MIDNIGHT. HEATHER HEPLER has worked as a book reviewer and contributor for VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates), Kirkus Reviews, Linworth Publishing, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, and The New York Times. Her writing has been published in Southwest Review and The Cincinnati Review. She has co-authored two young adult novels with Brad Barkley which are under contract with Dutton Children’s Books. The first, Scrambled Eggs at Midnight (May 2006) is one of the Penguin Young Readers lead titles for Summer 2006. It is also a Booksense ’76 selection for Summer 2006. The second, Dream Factory is scheduled for a Spring 2007 release. She is currently working on another young adult novel and several free-lance projects.

Heather holds a Masters in Library Science and has worked as a children’s and young adult librarian. In this position, she organized and presented many special programs, including summer reading, literacy events, and story times. She also organized a teen book club and a teen writing group.

Heather lives in Texas, but is happy to travel for presentations.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

Charity Kahn, is a classically trained pianist, flutist, and vocalist who has played and sung every type of music from baroque rock'n'roll to jazz to bluegrass. She has written countless songs and compositions, and released four CDs of original music with her award-winning family music band, Charity and the JAMband: Rock Your Socks Off (2006 Parents' Choice GOLD Award Winner), Peanut Butter and JAM (2004 Parents' Choice Approved Award Winner), JAM: Music for Movement with Children, and firstborn.

Charity holds a B. S. in Mathematics from Stanford University, and is the co-author of the book, Math and Music: Harmonious Connections. She performs regularly for families around the Bay Area and LA, both solo and with the JAMband, at schools, libraries, clubs, museums, and festivals. She has taught (The Head-Royce School in Oakland, CA) and tutored mathematics, and taught private piano and flute lessons to both children and adults.

Charity draws upon her experience as a musician, composer, performer, teacher, author, mathematician, rock climber, and, most of all, mother in creation of the organic and evolving experience that is JAM. Her own kids (aged 7 and 4) and all the other kids with whom she shares JAM are her main muses. She's been rocking the kids ever since she became a mom.

Charity is also available to perform with Andrea Gosline, children's picture book poet. Charity and Andrea bring their JAMBLEDANCE program to elementary school children all over the Bay Area and beyond. Their mission is to nurture every creative voice, spark the imagination, and inspire students' love of learning.

During the 2007-08, Andrea and Charity will take children on a magical journey through the calendar year to discover the twelve animals—from January's lion to July's horse to November's elephant— from Andrea's picture book, January's Child: The Birthday Month Book. (Scholastic Press, 2007) The children will sing and dance to a repertoire of songs and write a wishing poem for the children of the world. At the end of Andrea and Charity's visit, their ear for music will be fine-tuned, their creativity will be supercharged, and they will treat themselves and each other with more kindness and compassion.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

Dave Keane is the author and illiustrator of the laugh-out-loud JOE SHERLOCK, KID DETECTIVE chapter book series from HarperCollins Publishers. Philomel will also be releasing his picture book titled DADDY ADVENTURE DAY. Dave uses his quick wit and wacky sense of humor in fast-moving presentations about life as a writer and illustrator. Dave's favorite subjects include a behind-the-scenes look at the process of writing a book, interactive illustration sessions, how to turn a "blah" paragraph into a "brilliant" paragraph, the process of illustrating a picture book and how to get started writing your own stories. His boundless energy and enthusiasm will delight K-6th students as well as children of all ages.

Dave is equally comfortable presenting to both class-size audiences and to larger audiences of several hundred. He has appeared on radio and TV and has spoken to both business groups and new writer workshops.

Growing up the middle child in a house with seven boys, Dave always found humor the best way to get noticed (and he wore the hard-won mantle of Class Clown with great pride). While most kids his age were dreaming of becoming firefighters or astronauts, Dave had his sights set on stand-up comedy. Today he is a husband and father of three avid readers. He spends his days writing, illustrating and driving his kids all over the place.

"We could hear the roars of laughter from down the hall, from both students and teachers. By the end of the assembly, the kids were itching to read his books, write their own and illustrate them, too" -Pouneh Lechner, Service League President, Old Orchard School, Campbell, CA
"Dave does a wonderful job engaging the students and explaining the writing process with fun and humor. All thirty Joe Sherlock books were checked out of the library and the kids were asking for more." -Beth Grimes, Author's Month Chair, Louise Van Meter Elementary School, Los Gatos, CA

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

Like ELISA KLEVEN's breathtaking collages, her stories are also about the power of imagination to transform old into new, familiar into fantastical. In the book THE LION AND THE LITTLE RED BIRD, a lion turns his tail into a paintbrush, and the walls of his cave into a sunlit, painted world. In THE PAPER PRINCESS, a drawing on paper becomes full of possibilities: by turns, it is a paper doll, a crumbled wad of litter, a birthday card, and a beloved doll again. The child in HOORAY, A PINATA! imagines that a dog pinata is a favorite pet. Ernst the crocodile in THE PUDDLE PAIL sees ordinary rain puddles as sparkling, collectible treasures. In the story ERNST, Ernst imagines an entire universe, where all his "what-ifs" come true. The girl in A MONSTER IN THE HOUSE imagines her baby brother to be a giant, messy, screaming, toe-sucking, hair-pulling monster. In the book, SUN BREAD, a baker brightens a bleak winter by shaping bread dough into a warm, glowing, life-giving sun. And in her newest story, THE WISHING BALL, a homeless and hungry cat and a wistful young crocodile transform their loneliness into friendship, by making each others' wishes come true.

Although Elisa loves creating imaginary worlds, she also enjoys drawing real places. Three of the books she's illustrated take place in big U.S. cities. ABUELA, by Arthur Dorros, is set in New York. CITY BY THE BAY, by Tricia Brown, is "a magical journey around San Fransisco." And CITY OF ANGELS, by Julie Jaskol and Brian Lewis, explores her home city of L.A. The life,energy, textures and wealth of detail in cities inspires her collages.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

ELIZABETH (LIZ) KOEHLER-PENTACOFF has taught elementary school and directed children's plays for a Central California children's theater group. She used her drama background to write CURTAIN, a nonfiction book of drama games and activities for children. Her next book, EXPLORERS, was written for elementary and middle school teachers. But it wasn't until she started writing humorous chapter books for children that she really found her passion.

She has published: LOUISE THE ONE AND ONLY, WISH HELP! MY LIFE IS GOING TO THE DOGS and YOU'RE KIDDING--INCREDIBLE FACTS ABOUT THE PRESIDENTS.

For her book THE ABC'S OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN, Liz interviewed 114 children's authors and illustrators about the writing process, techniques, and humorous anecdotes about the writing life. JOHN MUIR AND STICKEEN: AN ALASKAN ADVENTURE (her latest book)is an adventure story about explorer John Muir and a courageous dog who are stranded on an iceberg in Alaska. Liz presented at IRA this year.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

HECTOR VIVEROS LEE was born in Calexico, CA to Mexican parents. He got his teaching credential from Fresno State and began teaching as a Spanish Bilingual teacher in the very school he attended as a child. He eventually moved to San Francisco to attend the Academy of Art College, where he earned a degree in Illustration.

He became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2001. He continues to teach and write/illustrate books in San Francisco. He wrote and illustrated his first book I HAD A HIPPOPATOMUS, which he translated into Spanish. He illustrated GET SET, SWIM! by Jeannine Aktins; CAN YOU TOP THAT? W. Nikola-Lisa and was a contributing illustrator to AMERICA, MY LAND, YOUR LAND, OUR LAND, by W. Nikola-Lisa. He recently illustrated THE LITTLE MONK by Madeleine Delbrel (2005). He has illustrated for Houghton-Mifflin, Scott-Foresman, Cricket, Spider and Ladybug Magazines. He has exhibited at the Sheraton Palace in San Francisco, the Thatcher Gallery at USF, and the Museum of Children’s Art, Oakland, CA.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

IRA SCOTT LEVIN, a.k.a. "Uncle Eye" appeared as the featured singing storyteller at the end of Jakers on PBS singing RUBY THE RESCUE COW. Ira recently released HYPERACTIVE TALKING COWS with the classic single, POLLO ELASTICO. Uncle Eyes earned a coveted spot on the recommended performers list for public libraries throughout the Bay Area.

"Everyone needs this music.” -Larry Kelp, KPFA 94.1 FM Berkeley

"One of Ira’s greatest attributes is his big heart. He not only loves working with children but he is devoted to his community and making it a better place."

-Karen Einbinder, Youth & Family Dept Director San Francisco JCC

"Uncle Eye sings wonderful original and very funny songs for kids and their parents and grandparents. He is a great musician, a great comic in timing, and a lovely person relating magically to kids." - George Oram/Julia Morgan Theater Berkeley

“Ira Levin is a multi-talented performer that children of all ages can enjoy. His two appearances on my PBS program, Jakers: The Adventures of Piggley Winks, were a resounding success. His music is catchy, clever and singable. The kids in our studio audience went wild for his hit song, “Ruby the Rescue Cow.” I look forward to working with Uncle Eye again.” Larry Swerdlove Producer/Director

Singer-songwriter, pianist and music teacher, JULIA BORDENARO LEVIN has been performing solo throughout the Bay Area for the past four years. She established a strong career before leaving Iowa and continues to make waves on the West Coast.

She has thrice been awarded "Best Song," and featured for "Best Performance" by West Coast Songwriters. In addition to Vocolot, she performs in a harmonious duet with her husband, Ira Scott Levin. Julia is soulful singer with a strong connection to children--having extensive experience as a classroom music teacher.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

Nancy Levine is a veteran dog photographer and former staff photographer for the Elmsford, New York, Humane Society. She has had extensive experience in theater and standup comedy and was a regular contributor to The Investigative Report, a now-defunct cutting-edge parody newspaper in San Francisco. Her commentaries have been broadcast in the Bay Area on NPR affiliates, and her writing has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle and The Los Angeles Times. She is formerly vice president of client services for an executive search firm and has conducted corporate training workshops in the Bay Area. Originally from Scarsdale, New York, Levine resides with Wilson and Homer in Berkeley, California.

With Wilson the Pug, Nancy is the author of the bestselling books THE TAO OF PUG, HOMER FOR THE HOLIDAYS, and LETTERS TO A YOUNG PUG, all published by Viking Studio/Penguin Group.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

GIANNA MARINO's debut book, ZOOPA!, received rave reviews and won the Texas 2x2 (Texas Library Association top 20 pick) award. Zoopa was also recently nominated as a Northern California Book of the Year for Children's Literature. Her presentations and workshops have garnered the same level of enthusiasm.

Gianna does both assemblies and small workshops. The assemblies are for K-2 and include an alphabet game, with children as volunteers from the audience, and a painting demonstration. The workshops are for classes under 25 children. The class makes an alphabet soup book based on Zoopa, each working with their own letter and creating a page with a drawing of an animal or object that starts with their letter.

Gianna is available for full day/multi day/ or single workshop or assembly visits. She lives in Northern California, but is able to travel to schools throughout the Bay Area (and the U.S.) during the week.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

E. B. McHenry is a graduate of The Philadelphia College of Art, (B.F.A. Painting ) and The Moore College of Art , Computer Graphics. E. B. has worked for many years in both the Fine and Commercial Arts; exhibiting paintings, prints and collages while also producing whimsical illustrations for many newspaper, magazines and software/web publications. Clients include; The Philadelphia Daily News, Bark magazine, The New York Dog magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, Running Press, Adobe Software and others. E. B. also worked briefly as an animator/illustrator in children's educational software, and then.began writing and creating her own characters for children's books. *Poodlena* (Bloomsbury Children's books) 2004, is E. B.'s first book. A second book; *Has Anyone Seen Winnie and Jean?* (Bloomsbury Children's books) will be out in Spring /2007.

Poodlena Book Reviews

"Witty." Publishers Weekly

"Large illustrations done in gouache in bubble-gum shades complement the rhyming text, illustrating the follies of the spoiled pink poodle. An amusing edition." School Library Journal

"Kids will have a laugh over how [Poodlena] loves being tweezed and teased to a fare-thee-well, which the spreads and vignettes capture quite delightfully." Booklist

"It's a cute story, enhanced by [E. B.] McHenry's clever rhymes and wonderfully comic illustrations." San Francisco Chronicle

"This charming picture book with rhyming verse tells the story of Poodlena Pompadour. . . McHenry's stylish illustrations delight the eye with a timeless, retro quality." The Bark

An Amazon "Editor's Pick" for Best Book of the Year, ranked #5 out of 10 on the picture book list.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

Leslea Newman is the author of many picture books about animals including Cats, Cats, Cats! and Dogs, Dogs, Dogs!, Where Is Bear? and The Best Cat in the World, and the middle grade historical novel, Hachiko Waits, Her literary awards include a Parents' Choice silver medal, and a Highlights for Children's fiction award. In addition, several of her books have been selected for inclusion on the master state award lists of Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois, and her book Hachiko Waits won the 2005-2006 Emphasis on Reading Alabama Children's Choice Award for grades 2-3.

Leslea Newman's lively, interactive presentations are full of "show and tells" guaranteed to keep audiences of all ages fully engaged. She has visited dozens of schools, libraries and conferences and says, "I love talking to kids and to adults about the joys of reading and writing. I have been a book-lover all my life and kids are always amazed to learn that I decided to become a writer when I was only eight years old (and they enjoy seeing pictures of me when I was their age). I show kids photos of my parents, my siblings, my grandparents, and my pets, and discuss how the people and animals I love appear in my books. This illustrates how each one of us has a treasure chest of life experiences that can become a poem or a story. I emphasize that everyone already has what it takes to be a writer: a pen, paper, words, and imagination. I show students my first drafts, discuss the importance of re-writing and even allow them to be my editor and show me how I can improve my work. I ask the audience members plenty of questions to keep them engaged, and I allow time for them to ask me questions as well. My goal is for every kid to leave my presentations thinking, 'Maybe when I grow up, I'll be a writer, too.' "

Presentations: WAN WAN MEANS WOOF WOOF: THE STORY OF HACHIKO WAITS. Hachiko Waits tells the true story of Hachiko, the loyal Akita who lived in Japan from 1923-1935 and spent the last 10 years of his life waiting at Shibuya train station for his master's return. A great tie-in for units on Japan, this presentation shows students how to use their imagination to travel through time and space and visit and write about another culture.

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS! uses Leslea Newman's picture books about animals to explore how an author goes from idea to finished product. "Show-and-tells" include early handwritten drafts, artist's sketches, book dummies, press sheets and more. The idea that everyone can be a writer--all you need is a pen, a piece of paper, words and your imagination-- is repeated over and over so that by the end of the presentation, children are eager to rush back to their classrooms and write.The message of this interactive presentation is that reading and writing is fun,fun, fun!

At every school visit, Leslea Newman provides a signed book mark for each child who attends her presentations and a list of writing tips for teachers so that they can refer to points made after the school visit is over.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

You are by far the best author we have had. The content and your approach are terrific." —Socorrito "Sukie" Claudio, 5th grade teacher, PS 130, Bronx

"I greatly appreciated your visit. I also liked that you didn't just talk about how great you are! Also you taught us all never to give up! Way too short! Needs to be two hours long!" —Katharina, age 12, German School New York, White Plains, NY

Marc Tyler Nobleman is the author of more than 70 books and a cartoonist whose work has appeared in more than 100 publications, about seven of which you've heard of (including Wall Street Journal and Good Housekeeping).

His books include the best-selling Scholastic series "Fast Finishers," How to Do a Belly Flop, Vocabulary Cartoon of the Day, Ghost Hunting Handbook, 365 Adventures, and The Great Chicago Fire. His picture book Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman is due out in 2008. He writes humor regularly for Nickelodeon Magazine.

Since he began his author visit program in 2004, he has received hundreds of rave reviews from students and teachers. Testimonials and references are available. He offers a choice of lively, unconventional presentations, all of which include a cartoon slide show with a twist, live sketches, audience participation, and Q&A:

- Books and Cartoons, Persistence and Rejection - personal stories of the former paying off, how to handle the latter; a (funny) reading of my rejection letters; surprising rejections of people from Dr. Seuss to J.K. Rowling to Abraham Lincoln; ties into several of my books
- The Hidden Language of Cartoons - how to write and compose (but NOT draw) an effective cartoon; covers tricks from the many kinds of word bubbles to the "magic of three lines"; ties into my book Vocabulary Cartoon of the Day
- Draw a Story, Write a Cartoon - a writing-focused presentation, particularly suitable as a workshop, about how to draw readers into a story with a compelling first line/paragraph and how to turn everyday experiences into funny cartoons

He also offers residencies; in one of the most popular ones, students create a book of cartoons that can be tied to curriculum.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.

LAURA NUMEROFF is the highly acclaimed author of IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE, IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PANCAKE, IF YOU GIVE A MOOSE A MUFFIN series, which is published in more than a dozen languages and has been featured on Oprah. IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PANCAKE was on the Publisher's Weekly bestsellers list for over a year! At one point, IF YOU TAKE A MOUSE TO THE MOVIES was second (after Harry Potter) on the Publisher's Weekly bestsellers list. IF YOU GIVE A CAT A CUPCAKE will be out fall 2008. As a child, she was inspired by E.B. White's Stuart Little and Dr. Suess's The Cat in the Hat, among others. She has visited over one hundred elementary schools and spoken at numerous teacher conferences around the country. Laura enjoys speaking to children, teachers and librarians.

Please contact Connecting Authors for booking information via email at susan@connectingauthors.com or call 1-866-528-9269.