Author signings at Borders appeal to youths

Two author events are announced by Borders Books and Music, 1 N. La Grange Road, La Grange.

• Tonya Hurley will sign and discuss “ghostgirl”-OK at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3. Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible — even worse — she’s dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn’t stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal. In her satirical, yet heartfelt work, Hurley explores the invisibility everyone feels at times and the lengths people will go to be seen.

Hurley’s credits span all platforms of teen entertainment including: creating, writing and producing two hit television series, writing and directing several independent films, developing a collection of video games and board games, and creating and providing content for award-winning Web sites. Her Web site is www.ghostgirl.com.

• Ernest Drake, author of the best-selling “Dragonology” and the new “Monsterology,” will be present for a signing and discussion of his latest book at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10.  Dr. Ernest Dragonologist’s target age is 6 and older.

Do krakens really lurk below the ocean waves? Do griffins command the air above? The intrepid Dr. Drake turns his inquisitive gaze from dragons to other so-called mythical creatures with a presentation on the identification and conservation of the world’s most fantastical beasts. All attendees are eligible to win a complete “Dragonology” book gift pack. Tattoo, poster and activity giveaways will be provided.

For more information, call Borders at (708) 579-9660.

‘Magic’ sculpture to debut

When you hold a spoon to a light, it won’t cast the shadow of a fork. Intuitively, we know that a shadow is supposed to take the shape of its “owner.” John Muntean’s Magic Angle Sculptures seem to break that rule. The Riverside resident’s unique shadow-casting sculptures will make their debut at the Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy Road, during an exhibition from Aug. 29 to Oct. 10. The opening reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29, in the center’s Freeark Gallery.

At first glance, a Magic Angle Sculpture appears nothing more than a finely polished, abstract wooden carving, skewered with a steel rod and mounted on a base. Magic, however, lurks in the shadows. When light is focused on the 3-D carving and it is rotated on the steel rod, each sculpture projects three distinct shadows. One sculpture reveals the shadows of a man, woman and baby; another projects a horse, elephant and coyote. Muntean will unveil 11 Magic Angle Sculptures during his exhibition.

“The Magic Angle Sculptures surprise us by playing with our expectations about how we view the world,” said Muntean, who developed the art form from a scientific technique that mechanically simulates a molecule tumbling through space. He is a spectroscopist at Argonne National Laboratory.

For more information, contact the Riverside Arts Center at (708) 442-6400 or visit www.jvmuntean.com and check out the video.