About the Authors
Missy Edgmon
Missy Edgmon is the author of the puppet show, "The Ballad of Ginger Fella." She was formerly a children's librarian from the Harris County Public Library System and is currently staying home with her two young children and working part-time at Tomball Community College.
Paola Ferate-Soto
Paola Ferate-Soto, co-author of the Bilingual Programs chapter, grew up in Colombia, South America, where as a child she learned many of the rhymes shared in the chapter. She holds an MLIS from the University of Arizona and worked as a reference librarian in the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District in Las Vegas, Nevada and was the Youth Department Head at the Carson City Library in Carson City, Nevada. She is currently the Youth Librarian at the Terrazas Branch of the Austin Public Library where she conducts bilingual storytimes. Ms. Ferate-Soto was one of the founding members of the REFORMA-Nevada Chapter as well as it's first President. She was also one of the founding members of the new Central Texas REFORMA Chapter El corazón de Tejas. She served as National REFORMA Organizational Development Chair from 1998 to 2001, and as a committee member for the 2001 El día de los niños Austin Celebration.
Lelaña Foley
Lelaña Foley was formerly with the Harker Heights Public Library and now lives in Missouri. She is the author of the "Celebrations Programs" chapter.
Tina Hager
Tina Hager, author of the Preschool Programs chapter, holds an MLS from Texas Woman's University and has been a youth services librarian at the Carrollton Public Library. She has over 20 years experience working in many types of libraries in many capacities from page to library director. Her career dream is to be a professional storyteller and children's author.
Adriana Heard
Adriana Flores Heard, author of the Young Adult Programs chapter, graduated with an MLIS from the University of Texas at Austin with a specialization in children and youth services. Ms. Heard has worked for the San Antonio Public Library for the past six years as a reference librarian, children's librarian, and youth services librarian. Currently she is at the Westfall Public Library working with teens and adults and performing outreach to local high schools and middle schools and she loves to booktalk. Ms. Heard helped to create the San Antonio Public Library's first Youth Services department which offers teens the opportunity to participate in an annual summer reading program, a monthly book club, a teen advisory board, and the Teen Friends. She has been trained as an ALA/YALSA Serving the Underserved Trainer.
Donna Ingham
Donna Ingham is the author of the story, "Babe of the Alamo." She is a retired university professor turned storyteller and travels throughout Texas telling stories and offering workshops in schools, libraries, festivals, conferences, and wherever else people will gather to listen. Her programs include personal narratives about growing up in the Panhandle; Texanized myths, legends, fairy tales, and other classics; and multicultural tales drawn from the lore of Native Americans and Hispanic, European, and African-American settlers.
Nohemi Lopez
Nohemi Lopez, co-author of the Bilingual Programs chapter, is currently the children's librarian at the Memorial Branch Library of the San Antonio Public Library System. After receiving her MLIS from the University of Texas at Austin, she worked as a reference librarian for the San Antonio Public Library and then as a children's librarian in the Austin Public Library where she conducted bilingual storytimes in Spanish and English for the East Austin community.
Dorothy McMahon
Dorothy McMahon, author of the story, "Going to Round Rock," has a BA in Education and an MLS. She worked in the educational field for over 30 years as a teacher and as an elementary school librarian. She has presented workshops on storytelling, reading aloud, poetry, and puppetry for independent school districts, associations for the education of young children, parents, and for storytelling and puppetry organizations.
Elizabeth McMahon
Elizabeth McMahon is the illustrator for the crafts in the 2002 Texas Reading Club Manual. Ms. McMahon received her MLA from the University of North Texas in 1990 and worked at Galveston's Rosenberg Library for about 6 six years. She is currently the Outreach/PR Librarian at the Grand Prairie Main Library where she supervises the Bookmobile and Aging program and provides publicity and public relations for the library. She also organizes adult and young adult programs and arranges the displays within the library.
Sally Meyers
Sally Meyers, author of the theme song, "Read Across Texas!" has been the Children's Services Coordinator for the Tom Green County Library System in San Angelo for ten years. Previously she was teacher-director of La Escuelita Preschool. Ms. Meyers served on the Texas Reading Club Advisory Committee from 1994-1998 and has written the summer reading theme song since 1995. She is a member of Children's Round Table's 2x2 Committee.
Maricela Moreyra-Torres
Maricela Moreyra-Torres, co-author of the Bilingual Program chapter, was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara with a Library Science degree and worked for 15 years as a librarian in a primary school. She has been an active member of the Jalisco Library Association. Ms. Moreyra-Torres was a founding member and Vice President of the International Reading Association's Jalisco Chapter.
Leila Parrish
Leila Parrish, author of the Toddler Programs chapter, is a former children's librarian who has worked for both the Houston Public Library System and the Harris County Public Library System. Since leaving her professional role, Ms. Parrish actively works with children and parents through planning and presenting children's programs for a church-affiliated Mother's Day Out Program.
Josefina Rodriguez-Gibbs
Josefina Rodriguez-Gibbs, co-author of the Bilingual Programs chapter, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in Spanish and Portuguese. After receiving her MLIS, she worked for the Office of Bilingual Education at the University of Texas. While her children were growing up, she was active in school programs and in church related programs for children. She is now a youth librarian at the Cepeda and the Oak Springs branches of the Austin Public Library and has the opportunity to present Spanish story hours for children of both communities.
Gayle Travis
Gayle Travis is the author of the Elementary Programs chapter, two readers theater script, and one puppet play for the 2002 Texas Reading Club Reading Program Manual. She is also the author of the 1995 Summer Reading Program Manual "Once Upon a Planet" and contributing author of the 2001 Texas Reading Club manual. She presented workshops throughout the state based on the 1995, 2000, and 2001 manuals. Ms. Travis, who received her MLS from Texas Woman's University, has been a children's librarian in public libraries for over ten years and is an accomplished storyteller and story weaver.
Willy Welch
Willy Welch composed a theme song that will be used for the 2002 and future Texas Reading Clubs. It is entitled, "Reading Across Texas" and will appear on his next musical CD. Mr. Welch is an author, songwriter, singer, storyteller, and actor with a degree in theater from Boston University School for the Arts. He has published three children's picture books, Playing Right Field, Dancing with Daddy, and Grumpy Bunnies. His next book scheduled is Home Made Cookie, from Scholastic, Inc. Mr. Welch has also written songs for (among others) the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, the Barney & Friends PBS-TV series, Peter Paul & Mary, Celebration Shop, Habitat for Humanity, and his talented singing wife, Wendy Welch. He loves to visit schools and libraries to sing songs, read books, and tell stories.