Authors spin stories at Glen Ellyn Bookfest

Eight-year-old Genevieve Ick is not an author, but Saturday morning, she helped a children’s book writer turn a simple idea into a story.

Author and illustrator Tom Lichtenheld asked an audience of about 25 kids and their parents at The Bookstore in Glen Ellyn to tell him something that happened that morning.

Genevieve’s response, “I almost got hit by a softball,” turned into an adventure story complete with a hill, a cactus, a bear, bees, a shark and a parachute to help the heroine escape it all.

“Once you put a hill into a story, all bets are off,” Lichtenheld joked as he illustrated the Glen Ellyn girl’s adventure on an easel in front of the crowd.

Lichtenheld’s presentation was part of Bookfest, a literature-themed day of author presentations, book signings and advice for aspiring writers held at the Glen Ellyn Public Library and several downtown shops.

Genevieve came to BookFest in between watching a morning softball tournament (where the near-miss that inspired the story occurred) and 150 cheering on her brother Eli, 7, in a baseball game, said her mother, Sharon Ick.

The family’s third child, 4-year-old Benjamin, loves one of Lichtenheld’s books, “Shark vs Train,” and Ick said the chance to see its author in person was enough to draw her family to the festival.

The festival drew together at least 35 authors, many of whom call the Chicago suburbs home, and all of whom were willing to dish out advice.

Rolling Meadows author Joelle Charbonneau said she encourages aspiring authors to write every day. Writing at least 100 words a day for 100 days makes the action a habit and helps authors progress toward telling their stories, she said.

“The hardest thing, when you start out, is just finishing a book,” Charbonneau said.

The book she displayed, “Skating Around the Law,” was her fifth novel, but the first to be published, she said. Another tip Charbonneau offers: Create vivid characters, because in some genres, “the community of characters is just as important as the plot.”

Bookfest kicked off with a discussion of how to navigate the world of publishing and concluded with a keynote address from Mary Doria Russell, a New York Times best-selling author and Lombard resident. The annual event was sponsored by The Alliance of Downtown Glen Ellyn.