Naperville woman’s book release benefits cancer organization
Naperville children’s author Sarah Sparks is celebrating the release of two new books in her award-winning “Monsters on Mill Street” series by partnering with a regional pediatric cancer organization to donate books to children undergoing treatments.
Sparks is working with Jenna Smith, of Oswego, founder of Love Smiles, which raises awareness for pediatric cancer.
For every book purchased through June 15, a second book will be donated to a child in need, her publicist said. Sparks hopes to donate 500 books to children through the partnership. After June 15, readers will still have the option to support the initiative by adding a donation copy to their cart.
Pre-order sales of Sparks’ newest books, “The Awesome(-est) Monster on Mill Street” and “The Strongest Monster on Mill Street,” are available at special pricing through June 15 at www.monstersonmillstreet.com.
The new books continue Sparks’ mission of helping children understand and manage their emotions. They provide families with ways to address the challenges of social anxiety, depression and sadness, the release said.
Naper Settlement wins multiple awards for introduction film
Naper Settlement’s introductory film, “Looking Back is Looking Forward,” has won awards from two different institutions, museum officials said.
It was presented with a Silver Telly in the not-for-profit category and a Gold Telly in the history category from the Telly Awards, which honor excellence in video and television, a news release said. It also won a Platinum Award from AVA Digital Awards, an international competition that recognizes the planning, concept, direction, design and production of digital communication.
The short film, narrated by Emmy-award winner Bill Kurtis, is shown when visitors enter Naper Settlement at the Birck Family Innovation Gateway.
Cress Creek Garden Club awards scholarships to local students
Cress Creek Garden Club of Naperville has awarded merit scholarships to Naperville-area students choosing to study horticulture, agriculture education, biochemistry, botany, earth and climate science, environmental engineering, sustainability, wildlife ecology and other environmental fields.
The club will honor the recipients at a luncheon June 13, an organization news release said.
Recipients are Gianna Cannek, a Metea Valley High School graduate studying earth and climate science at Middlebury College in Vermont; Jenna Duncan, a Neuqua Valley High School graduate studying environmental science, policy and management at the University of Minnesota; and Nainika Gupta, a Waubonsie Valley High School graduate studying environmental engineering at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Also, Jason Huang, Benet Academy graduate studying environmental science at Emory University; Emily Lubek, a Naperville Central High School graduate studying ecology and evolutionary biology at University of Colorado-Boulder; Isabelle Nobrega, a Naperville North High School graduate studying wildlife biology at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Varsha Parthasarathy, a Naperville North gradute studying environmental engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Madeline Walbridge, a Metea Valley graduate studying environmental law at Loyola University Chicago.
