Dist. 58 Author Fest booked for April 26

The Downers Grove Grade School District 58 Author Fest Book Signing and Photo Opportunity is back again this year on April 26.

The annual event is sponsored by the Downers Grove Area Council of PTAs with support from the Education Foundation of District 58 and the Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club. The event is open to the community and will be held  5 to 7 p.m. at Anderson’s Bookshop, 5112 Main St., Downers Grove.

The event will feature three children’s authors: Greg Pizzoli, Jasmine Warga and Kate Hannigan.

Earlier in the week, all District 58 1st, 3rd and 5th graders will meet with one of the three authors to hear insights about the writing/illustration process. Small groups of students will also meet the author during a special lunch/discussion as part of Author Fest.Twenty percent of every book purchased for the book signing at Anderson’s will come back to the PTA Council to be used for future district-wide programming, including Author Fest.

About the Authors:

Greg Pizzoli: Greg Pizzoli is the three-time Theodor Seuss Geisel Award-winning creator of the Baloney and Friends graphic novel series, as well as the author and illustrator of the picture books “The Watermelon Seed,” “Good Night Owl” and “The Book Hog.” He also writes nonfiction for children.

He studied English Literature at Millersville University before volunteering for the AmeriCORPS Volunteers in Service to America program. After two years as a VISTA volunteer, he earned his Master of Fine Art (MFA) in book arts and printmaking from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Jasmine Warga: Jasmine Warga is the New York Times-bestselling author of middle-grade novels “Other Words For Home,” “The Shape of Thunder,” and “A Rover’s Story.” Her latest novel, “A Rover’s Story,” was an instant New York Times bestseller, an Indie Next List, a Junior Library Guild selection, and was named a best book of the year by Publishers Weekly and The Washington Post. Warga is also the author of a young adult novel, “My Heart and Other Black Holes,” which has been translated into over twenty different languages.

Warga grew up in Cincinnati and studied art history and history at Northwestern University in Evanston. She briefly taught 6th grade science before going on to get her MFA in creative writing from Lesley University in Boston.

Kate Hannigan: Kate Hannigan is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction for young readers. Her newest titles include the nonfiction picture book “Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine,” which tells the story of the little-known female inventor Josephine Cochrane who not only invented the modern dishwashing machine but also ran her manufacturing company. It was named to the Illinois Reads 2024 list of recommended books. Another “inventor” book, “Blips on a Screen,” has been nominated to the 2025 Illinois Bluestem Award list. Hannigan’s new nonfiction graphic novel “World War II: Fight on the Home Front” was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection. Her historical mystery “The Detective’s Assistant,” received the Golden Kite Award for best middle grade and twice optioned for film.