STAFF REPORTS
Anyone who has ever found inspiration for a book while reading an obituary is in good company.
Author Chris Barton of Austin read the obituary for Bob Switzer, who died in 1997. Switzer and his brother, Joe, invented Day-Glo colors – combining ultraviolet light and fluorescent paint – while Bob was recovering from an illness in a dark basement.
Barton took that spark and researched the Switzer brothers’ story. He captured the tale in a children’s picture book, “The Day-Glo Brothers.” The book, which uses the famed colors in the illustrations, garnered several awards, including being named a 2010 Sibert Honor Book.
Elementary school children at seven Hays CISD schools will meet Barton and hear him read.
Barton also wrote “Shark vs. Train,” a fictional tale about the battle between a shark and a train. It was a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller and finalist for the 2011 Children’s Choice Book Awards.
His children’s book “Can I see your ID?” is a true tale of stolen identity, geared toward kids age 12 and older.
