Creepy and clever — David Lubar writes the kind of scary stories that kids and teens love. The author, whose humorously horrifying books have sold more than a million copies, will present a free program on Monday, April 5, at 7 pm, at the Champaign Public Library, located at 200 W. Green St. A book signing will follow his hour-long talk; books will be available for purchase.
Registration is not required to attend the event, which is open to the public and aimed at teens and older elementary school students. While in town, Lubar will also meet with students at Champaign’s middle schools.
The author may be best known for his popular “Weenies” short story collections, written for ages 9 to 12. The most recent of the four books, “The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies: And Other Warped and Creepy Tales,” was published last year. Each book includes endnotes where the author reveals the inspiration behind each story, encouraging children to pursue their own creative ideas.
His newest series of novels features “Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie.” “Goop Soup,” the third book in the series, will be released in late April, followed by “Big Stink” in August.
Lubar’s award-winning titles for teens include “Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie,” “Dunk,” and “Hidden Talents,” which bestselling young adult author Orson Scott Card called “one of the best, no matter what age you are.”
A New Jersey native, the 56-year-old author now lives in Pennsylvania. As a child, Lubar aspired to be a comedy writer or a pinball machine designer; he has found success in both areas. His career includes two stints as a video game designer and programmer. Lubar’s projects from the early days of game development include “Home Alone” for the Gameboy and various titles for the Atari 2600. In the late 1990s, Lubar designed “Frogger 2” for the GameBoy, among others.
For more information, contact Betsy Su, teen librarian, at 217/403-2070.