On Saturday, October 22, 2011 the San Francisco Children's Fiction Examiner had the opportunity to attend the Humboldt County Author Festival held at the main branch of the county library in Eureka, California. In attendance were several children's authors and illustrators from around the country, parents with children in tow, teachers, and fans of books.
Many of the authors wore the official black t-shirt of the festival emblazoned with the words Authors Transport Us in neon green. Other authors were dressed casually in attire appropriate for the fickle weather of Humboldt Bay.
The authors were seated at tables set up around the perimeter of the room and their names were placed on placards above them. One could see authors asking children questions about their interests and it made quite an impression on this Examiner to see each author look into the children's eyes as they discussed books and favorite subjects. Occasionally, a child would go leaping across the room excitedly saying something like, "Bruce Hale signed my book!" Other children stood quietly and patiently in line, clutching their books like a new-found treasure while waiting their turn to speak with the author and get the book autographed.
As the Examiner spoke with authors, she discovered that Gwendolyn Hooks was so excited when she arrived at Eagle Praire Elementary School in Rio Dell to discover that the children had created artwork based on the characters in her books. Kirby Larson told one little girl - an author herself - to bring her own books to the next festival to share with all the authors. Bruce Hale commented that no one is surprised by the gifts he gives; always books! And Bob Barner and Erik Brooks joked about getting ready for the day by sitting in hair and make-up the same way Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie do.
Authors Ann Stalcup and Ann Whitford Paul were seated at a table together and were sweet and generous with the many questions put to them. Robert San Souci took the time to write a truly personlized statement to each book's recipient and Aprilynne Pike, Nancy Coffelt, Kevin Gerard, and David Michael Slater discussed the importance of having not only books, but other written material in the home. As one child told author Mary Nethery that her book Nubs made her cry, Ms. Nethery admitted that the story still makes her cry as well. Natasha Wing, a former Humboldt County resident, asked if we were all really standing in line to meet her and seemed surprised when the answer was yes. Each of these authors made a lasting impression on the children and adults that attended the festival on Saturday and those that met the authors at their schools.
Unfortunately, three authors scheduled to attend - Barbara Kerley, Sherry Strahan, and Lee Wardlaw - were unable to attend.
And if for some reason you weren't able to attend this year's author festival, prepare now for the next one. Although it won't take place until 2013, the Friends of the Redwood Libraries would appreciate your support for all the fundraiseres and planning that go into making each festival a success.
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