STORY BEHIND THE STORIES

Meet 3 local authors who have published books

By Vicki Martinka Petersen | Photos provided by all three authors

Some childhood dreams — becoming a space cowboy, for example — might be a little challenging to achieve. But for these local writers, who have been writing since childhood, their dreams of becoming published authors have come true.

 ANITRA ROWE SCHULTE Geneva resident and author of “Dancing with Daddy” Reading has always been a special time for Anitra Rowe Schulte and her daughters, Elsa, Cece and Lola. During trips to the library, Rowe Schulte longed to find books featuring families like theirs, with children who have disabilities. Elsa lives with a rare chromosomal disorder called WolfHirschhorn syndrome. Rowe Schulte wrote “Dancing with Daddy” (illustrated by Ziyue Chen) based on the dances her family attends. “We shared lots of photos of our family and Elsa’s equipment. The illustrator got all the details accurate,” she notes. The book won this year’s Dolly Gray Award in the picture book category. The award honors books for its authenticity in depicting developmental disabilities. But the best accolades came during a school event when a girl pointed to her gastrostomy tube and told Rowe Schulte she was excited to see another girl with a G-tube in the story. “What unites all my stories is they come from my own life, but they’re topics people can relate to,” she says. “Dancing with Daddy” is available for purchase at Harvey’s Tales in Geneva and online. In honor of Mobility Awareness Month, Rowe Schulte will be discussing her book at 10 a.m. May 21 at Geneva Public Library, 227 S. Seventh St.

 ADAM GIBBONS Geneva resident and author of “An Ornament in Prosperity” Since he was a teenager, Adam Gibbons has enjoyed doing genealogy and exploring local history. He’s gone on to write books exploring the history of Wasco, Campton Hills and Geneva. His most recent book, “An Ornament In Prosperity: A History of St. Charles Township’s Rural Schools,” contains a history of all rural schools in St. Charles Township, beginning with the opening of the region’s very first school in fall 1835. The book also explores the creation of St. Charles Community Unit School District 303, the closing of one-room schools and the conversion of some of these schools into homes. Gibbons was inspired to write this book after doing bus tours for Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. After noticing many old school buildings were still around, he thought it would be interesting to explore their history. “I like working with old documents, reading newspapers to see what happened in the local area and putting research into a narrative so people can understand the history of a region in a meaningful way,” Gibbons says. “An Ornament in Prosperity” is available for purchase at the St. Charles History Museum, Town House Books in St. Charles and Harvey’s Tales in Geneva. Copies also are available to check out at local libraries in Elgin, St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, North Aurora and Wheaton as well as the reference sections at the Northwestern University Library and the Library of Congress. A limited number of signed copies is available by emailing gibbons0529@gmail.com.

Kane County Magazine featured Gibbons in March 2021 for his longstanding habit of journaling every day. Revisit the story at www.issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/kc_mag_march_2021.

10 BOOKS FOR READERS OF ALL AGES

By Vicki Martinka Petersen

Looking for a book to read over summer vacation? Elizabeth Elsbree, library media specialist for East Aurora School District 131 and committee chair for Illinois’ Bluestem Award, shares her favorite books for readers of all ages.

 PRESCHOOL-KINDERGARTEN “The Very Impatient Caterpillar” by Ross Burach “Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music” by Margarita Engle and Rafael López — “This picture book was inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a female drummer at a time in Cuba when that was taboo,” Elsbree says.

 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL “The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street” by Karina Yan Glaser “Animal Ark: Celebrating our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures” by Kwame Alexander and Joel Sartore

 MIDDLE SCHOOL “Vincent and Theo: the Van Gogh Brothers” by Deborah Heiligman — “This nonfiction narrative is about the little-known relationship between Vincent Van Gogh and his brother,” Elsbree notes. “Nevermoor: the Trials of Morrigan Crow” by Jessica Townsend — “This fantasy series is perfect for fans of Harry Potter.”

 HIGH SCHOOL “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer — “This futuristic Cinderella tale intertwines several different fairy tales together.” “Kent State” by Deborah Wiles — “Wiles uses extensive research, multiple perspectives and verse to explore what happened during the Kent State shootings in 1970,” Elsbree says.

 ADULT “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson “The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women” by Kate Moore — “This story highlights the women who worked in unsafe conditions for years around radium, and helped change the laws around workers’ rights,” Elsbree says.

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 NICHOLAS FAGEN St. Charles resident and author of “A Moment in Time” Nicholas Fagen first became a published writer as a kindergartener when a local newspaper published a prayer/poem mashup he wrote. Fagan, who spent a lot of time with grandparents growing up, will never forget their reaction. “Seeing how happy and proud my grandparents were to see my writing published spoke volumes to me,” Fagen says. He continued writing prose, poems and songs throughout middle school, high school and college. In 2019, Fagen met for a different project with a publisher, who mentored him on the publishing process. “He recommended I release my collection of poetry and prose as a way of introducing readers to my writing through small bits,” says Fagen, who pursued the self-publishing route for his first book, “A Moment in Time.” The book ranges from fun moments like “Ode to a Cheeseburger” to serious pieces on grief and depression. Fagen also started a blog, www. fagenblog.com, as a more conversational way to connect with readers and introduce them to the book. “I wish my grandparents were still alive to see my first book,” he adds. “A Moment in Time” is available for purchase on Amazon.