Hilton Spring Story Fest March 25

The annual Hilton Spring Story Festival will be held Thursday, March 25 at the Village Elementary School, 100 School Lane, Hilton featuring children's book author, Doreen Rappaport, whose titles include many historical fiction books such as Freedom River, The Flight of Red Bird, Escape from Slavery, Boston Coffee Party, Martin's Big Words (Caldecott Honor Book for 2002) and Be the Judge/Be the Jury series. Rappaport was galvanized by the Civil Rights Movement and writes about how people have worked toward freedom and equality.

In addition, senior history editor for "Highlights for Children Magazine," Carolyn Yoder, will be on hand. She has written extensively on research and writing history for children.

Two guests who work at Genesee Country Museum will come in costume and demonstrate 19th century crafts. In addition, the Story Fest features "Touch the World," a presentation featuring Hilton teachers Alicia VanBorssum and Nora Coleman demonstrating teaching with artifacts and funded by the National Geographic Education Foundation where cultural artifacts and natural specimens are used in third grade classrooms to help teach regions of the world, people, places, resources, climate/weather and what's important to different peoples. The $5,000 grant allowed the purchase of objects from seven cultures: the Amara of South America; the Bedouin of the Middle East and Africa; the Inuit of the circumpolar region; the Masai of eastern Africa; The Sami of Lapland; and the Yanomami of the Amazon jungles.

Admission is $1 per person with proceeds going to future author visits. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. with program beginning at 5:45 p.m. Book sales, music and students reading aloud open the Festival, with pizza, juice and cookies for sale.

A panel discussion with two authors and two teachers begins at 7 p.m. At 7:30 p.m. there are breakout sessions to further talk with a writer, editor or teacher as well as "Touch the World" presentations by Alicia VanBorssum and Nora Coleman on using artifacts with children based on their National Geographic Grant. Book signings continue through 8:15 p.m. until finished.

The Spring Story Festival is sponsored by the Hilton School District, Lift Bridge Books in Brockport, and the Spring Story Festival Committee: Janis Hyland, Alice Fornuto, Monica Cosgrove, Stephanie Harney, Kathy Beabout, Marjorie Emler, Pat Kutz, Ed Donnelly, Debra Valentine, Kathy Brickell and Maria Roides. The committee is composed of Language Arts Specialists, Library/Media Specialists, Classroom Teachers and owners of Lift Bridge Books in Brockport.

The Hilton Village Elementary School is located at 100 School Lane, Hilton. From the center of the village, turn right onto West Avenue. Travel about 1/8 mile west on West Avenue to the second street on the right, Heinz Street.