About the Authors
Adriana Flores 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 seven years in a variety of positions and locations. Currently she is the Assistant Manager at the Westfall Public Library and creates programs and resources for teens and adults. Ms. Heard played an integral part in creating the San Antonio Public Library’s first Youth Services department which includes annual Young Adult summer reading program, a monthly book club, a teen advisory board, and the Teen Friends. She is an ALA/YALSA Serving the Underserved Trainer and offers workshops for librarians who work with teens.
Donna Ingham
Donna Ingham is the author of the story, “Mollie Bailey Was a Spy”. She is a retired university professor turned storyteller who 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.
Joe McDermott
Joe McDermott, composer of the theme song, “Mission Possible,” is a nationally acclaimed recording artist based in Texas. He has written and released five children’s recordings. His first nationally distributed CD, I Am Baby, won a Parent’s Choice Recommended Honor. His 2001 release, Great Big World won the esteemed Parent’s Choice Award Silver Honor. Joe was a Montessori teacher for seven years and his interaction with children and parents through live performances is unparalleled in the children’s entertainment industry. He was featured on Discovery Channel’s Home Matters show in the fall of 2001. His unique songwriting talents caught the attention of authors Stan and Jan Berenstain who worked with Joe to compose 10 songs based on their Berenstain Bears books. Author Stan Berenstain stated that “Joe McDermott is an absolute wizard at communicating with children through music.” Joe appeared last spring at Toronto’s Milk International Children’s Festival. He is currently working on a new album to be released in the fall of 2002. Joe resides in Austin with his wife, Louise, and his three children.
Sally Meyers
Sally Meyers, author of the piggyback theme song, “Mission Possible: Spy a Book!” has been the Children’s Services Coordinator for the Tom Green County Library System in San Angelo for eleven 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 club theme song since 1995. She is a member of Children’s Round Table’s Bluebonnet Committee.
Leila Raven Parrish
Leila Raven Parrish, author of the Toddler Programs, Preschool Programs and Elementary Programs chapters, received her MLS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently she is Program Director for a Mother’s Day Out /Preschool where she presents a weekly Bible storytime. With over 20 years experience as a children’s librarian in Texas (Houston Public and Harris County), Florida and Iowa, Ms. Parrish is a 1997 TALL Texan and former chair of the Public Relations Committee of Texas Library Association. A member of Houston Area Association for Education of Young Children and Greater Houston Puppetry Guild, she continues to serve as a consultant and presenter for libraries and early childhood conferences on “Storytelling With Puppets” and “Books for Babies,” along with story time, programs and services for young children. She was the author of the Toddler Programs Chapter of the 2002 Texas Reading Club manual and a contributor to the toddler and preschool chapters of the 2001 Texas Reading Club manual.
Victor Lynn Schill
Victor Schill, co-author of the Young Adult Programs chapter, is the Assistant Branch Librarian/Children’s Librarian at the Fairbanks Branch Library of the Harris County Public Library. He holds a BA in History and an MLIS from the University of Texas at Austin. He is active in the American Library Association (ALA), the Texas Library Association (TLA0), and the Houston Storytellers Guild. He is a Community Partner with the Houston Public Television Station, KUHT-TV (Channel 8), and is a trainer for the “Ready To Learn” Workshops provided by the Education and Outreach Department at Channel 8.
Rose Treviño
Rose Treviño retired as Children’s Services Coordinator for the San Antonio Public Library to begin consulting in the area of youth services. In the fall of 2002, Rose became the Coordinator of Youth Services for the Houston Public Library and continues consulting. She is an active member of the ALA Association of Library Services for Children, the TLA Children’s Round Table, and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking. Presently she is the Chair of the Pura Belpré Award Selection Committee and Co-chair of the Youth Services Committee for REFORMA, both ALA appointments, and serves on the Siddie Jo Johnson Committee for TLA/CRT. In the past, she served on the Newbery Award Committee, the Texas Bluebonnet Award Committee and she just completed a three-year term as Chair of the TLA 2 X 2 Reading List Committee. Ms. Treviño developed the first bilingual Born to Read program and has presented Born to Read workshops throughout the country.
Steven P. Treviño
Steven P. Treviño is a 1999 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He illustrated Ready— Set— Read!: Program Guide for the Texas Reading Club, 1996 for the Texas State Library. He is currently working as a project manager for ARTchitectural Interiors by Salas & Company in San Antonio, a custom manufacturer of fine furniture and architectural millwork.