The students of Chris Liska Carger’s Literature for the Young Child class at Northern Illinois University worked on their midterm project for weeks, preparing puppet plays based on popular children’s books.

On March 28, at the DeKalb Public Library, the 16 students in the class performed four plays with puppets, props and backdrops that they created.

The students prepared for the event by rehearsing their stories countless times and practicing songs to keep the children attentive and entertained. The class worked on the plays for weeks, but something happened that they did not prepare for: their professor died the week before the performance.

Carger, 64, of Riverside, died unexpectedly on March 22, after suffering a heart attack that led to a coma.

Carger joined NIU’s College of Education in 1994, and she was a professor in the Department of Literacy and Elementary Education. She taught five undergraduate and graduate courses in children’s literature and bilingualism and reading.

The Literature for the Young Child class was taken over by Pam Farris, who created the course years ago. The students performed their plays in Carger’s honor and dedicated their performance to her memory.

“We have been working on the puppets and stories for weeks, but we didn’t expect Dr. Carger not to be with us today,” said Nicole Morales, a junior early childhood education major from Rockford. “The class comes to the library every year, and she was looking forward to seeing our plays. She was always so excited about children’s literature. It makes sense to continue on with the plays and perform in her honor.”

The day after Carger’s death, Laurie Elish-Piper, the acting dean of the College of Education, sent an announcement to faculty and staff.

“Chris was a favorite professor of many students due to her kindness, passion for children’s literature, and commitment to making a difference in the world through education,” Elish-Piper wrote in the announcement. “She was a dedicated faculty member who served on many committees and contributed to her program area, department and the college in meaningful ways. She will be missed greatly.”

Throughout her career, Carger worked to have multicultural children’s literature used across the curriculum and was concerned with the literature preferences of young bilingual readers. She used children’s literature to help culturally and linguistically diverse children and their families succeed.

Carger recognized the importance of students’ families and culture, and she found ways to integrate them into her classroom. Carger had her students visit and work closely with local elementary schools and libraries. She created Reaching Out through Art and Reading (ROAR), a program that gives NIU Elementary and early childhood education majors the opportunity to read books aloud and do art activities with students in DeKalb schools. The program is designed to help English learners improve and develop their vocabulary and English listening skills.

Carger also had her students visit their students’ homes to learn more about multicultural family life. During visits, the future teachers were able to explore families’ goals for their children and offer support to parents unfamiliar with schooling expectations in the United States.

Mayra Daniel, Carger’s colleague of 13 years and a close friend, said Carger loved to teach and was passionate about multicultural children’s literature. Daniel remembers Carger as a soft-spoken, caring teacher who was committed to ensuring the rights and academic success of English learners in schools.

“She believed that all students hold promises for the future of their communities and the world,” Daniel said. “She felt it was her duty to change the system. She gave of her time by often delivering professional development to teachers without receiving any recompense. … She presented the message that parents are partners in learning and that their expertise is valuable.”

Daniel, who has taken over one of Carger’s classes, was surprised at Carger’s students’ response. After being notified of Carger’s death, the students brought in a card they signed to give to Carger’s family.

“Everyone, especially the students, was surprised about her passing,” Daniel said. “She did a lot, and many of her efforts went unnoticed. She was interested in creating a better world. She was a wonderful person, and we already miss her. Her students loved her, and it means a lot that they have found ways to honor her. It means that they’re continuing on her legacy.”