The David R. Collins Children’s Literature Festival
The 2019 David R. Collins
Children’s Literature Festival
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
8:30 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
The RiverCenter
Davenport, IA
Presented by:
Midwest Writing Center
Bi-State Literacy Council Davenport Public Library
Click this link to download the 2019 Children’s Literature Festival: CLF Brochure 2019
To Register:
Fill out the registration form linked above of this
brochure and mail it by October 1 to:
ATTN: Children’s Literature Festival
Suzanne Johnson
2717 Olympia Drive
Bettendorf, Iowa 52722
OR
E-mail Suzanne Johnson at
sjohnson2831@gmail.com to reserve your place.
If you have any questions about registration, email or call (563) 449-4886 (cell)
The 2019 Children’s Literature Festival is generously sponsored by Ascentra Credit Union Foundation, and supported through grants from the Scott County Regional Authority, The Mary Iva Gittens Knouse Charitable Trust, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency
About The David R. Collins
Children’s Literature Festival
The David R. Collins Children’s Literature Festival is named after its eponymous founder, a beloved author and teacher who passed away in 2001. David founded the Festival in 1978 and guided its subsequent growth. Now it continues in his memory, dedicated to his goal of encouraging future generations of readers and writers.
Each elementary school in the Mississippi Valley community is invited to share in the excitement at the David R. Collins Children’s Literature Festival at the Davenport River Center. Home-schooled children also are encouraged to participate.
All students in grades 3-6 are invited to share in the excitement at the David R. Collins Children’s Literature Festival at the Davenport River Center on October 8, 2019.
You may bring an unlimited number of students, but you must have one adult supervisor for every ten students. Registration is $5 for each student and accompanying chaperones in 2018.
Children, with their supervisors, will be provided an assigned schedule they need to follow. Each group will see both nationally and regionally acclaimed authors.
There will also be an opportunity to purchase the speakers’ books and illustrationsduring lunch, as well as between presentations. Books range from $3-$25. Proceeds from these sales will be used for future Festivals.
Students should bring snacks, a sack lunch, and any money they wish to spend at the book sale.
2019 Children’s Literature Festival Presenters
Featured Speaker: JOHN COY
John Coy is the author of young adult novels (middle grade books) and fiction and non-fiction picture books. Several of his books have been produced for children’s theatre throughout the United States.
John enjoys meeting with young people, talking to them and hearing the reasons why they do and do not read. He writes books he would have liked reading as a young person. For example, John’s popular 4 for four series includes “Top of the Order” (baseball), “Eyes on the Goal” (soccer), “Love the Game” (football), and “Take Your Best Shot” (a hoops story) that concludes the series.
He has received numerous awards and honors including Best Books of the Year, Books for a Global Society, and the American Library Association’s “Notable Books”. Some of his books have also been selected for the Junior Literacy Guild.
John lives in Minneapolis and visits with schools around the world as a speaker,
author and educator.
Other Presenters:
Ryan Collins is Executive Director of MWC, a St. Ambrose University professor and author of A New American Field Guide and Songbook. His sessions engage students in writing poetry.
Shellie Moore Guy is author, poet, storyteller, and performance artist. A former Quad City Poet Laureate, her book How Little Billy Learned to Play is about Bill Bell who was born and raised in East Moline and became a professional musician and educator.
Connie Heckert first appeared at the Children’s Literature Festival with her book, Miss Rochelle and the Lost Bell. Since then she has published 14 books for children, teens and adults including her 2019 release, Ride, Patriot Guard, Ride!, a photo essay.
Belinda Holbrook is known to students at Harrison Elementary as their recently retired media specialist. Hundreds of students at the Literature Festival know her as the string lady who makes cradles and shapes with her hands as she weaves long tales.
Barbara Kramer follows the advice “Write what you like to read”. As a kid she enjoyed biographies. She has published many books for National Geographic, specializing in biographies of famous people.
Pat McCaw earned her MFA in Creative Writing for Children from Hamline University and also has a medical degree practicing family medicine in Eldridge, IA Her GRYMBALLIA series is a three book fantasy for middle grades.
Gary Metivier, a Davenport author, has written “Willie’s Wagon” and “A Hog Ate My Homework”. It was his coverage as a journalist and tv news anchor about the departure and homecoming of soldiers that also inspired him to write several books about how these families were affected by this conflict.
Marshall Pass is as an artist and illustrator. He is the illustrator of How Little Billy Learned to Play. He currently resides in Davenport, IA. He and his wife are the former owners of Abstract Relaxation Art Gallery.
Jason Platt, author, illustrator, and cartoonist, delights web readers all over the world with his web comic, Mister and Me. His first graphic novel, “Middle School Misadventures” has been published nationally by Little Brown in 2019.
Registration Information
Fill out the registration form linked above of this
brochure and mail it by October 1 to:
ATTN: Children’s Literature Festival
Suzanne Johnson
2717 Olympia Drive
Bettendorf, Iowa 52722
OR
E-mail Suzanne Johnson at
sjohnson2831@gmail.com to reserve your place.
If you have any questions about registration, email or call (563) 449-4886 (cell)
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Also, for an additional classroom/educational supplement:
Thanks to the Scott County Regional Authority and the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, MWC produced a video of the 2017 CLF featured presenters, Bruce Colville and Kelly Milner Halls, that we will loan out to schools/home school groups/other organizations at no cost.
If you are interested in screening this video for your students, please contact Ryan Collins for more information: mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org | 309-732-7330