A highly regarded author of children's books and adult poetry, Gary Soto, will be the featured speaker at the Virginia Westerberg Children's Literature Conference at the University of Colorado at Boulder on Nov. 8. ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ 500 people are expected to attend the 28th annual event, including teachers, librarians, writers, artists, storytellers, parents and others. Soto, of Berkeley, Calif., is the author of several books for children, including "The Tortilla Factory," "Baseball in April, "Off and Running," "Pool Party" and "Neighborhood Odes."