Nationally acclaimed authors, illustrators to headline Children's Book Festival

Apr. 11—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A grand reading adventure awaits youngsters at the 15th annual Children's Book Festival.

The two-day festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Bottle Works, 411 Third Ave., in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.

Presented by The Learning Lamp and 1st Summit Bank, the festival is geared toward children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.

The annual event connects top-selling, nationally acclaimed authors and illustrators with area children and provides a quality, interactive literacy experience.

This year's theme is "Bark, Roar and Explore," and it incorporates books by the festival's three headlining authors.

Each child who attends will receive a free, age-appropriate book.

"When children get the chance to meet an author of a book that they've read at home or school or seen in their local library, or see an illustrator draw in real time, I feel there's a really special connection made," said Kerri Belardi, book festival organizer and director of communications for The Learning Lamp.

"That connection is what we want to create for these kids in our community and region."

She said the festival is designed to energize, inspire, spark imagination and bring stories to life.

"It's no secret that there are a lot of reluctant readers out there, and our aim is to change that," Belardi said. "We want kids excited about books."

One of the headlining authors will be Alyssa Capucilli, the award-winning, imaginative author of the "Biscuit" book series, which follows the adventures of a lovable and mischievous little yellow puppy that has inspired preschoolers and beginner readers for 28 years.

Her other titles include "Tulip and Rex," the "Katy Duck" series and "The Library Fish."

Capucilli will give a presentation at 12:15 p.m. April 13, followed by a book- signing at 1 p.m. and a writing workshop at 2:30 p.m.

At 10:30 a.m. April 14, she will have an author's presentation. At 11:15 a.m., she will hold a book-signing.

Also in attendance will be Bob Shea, an award-winning author and illustrator known for his whimsical and humorous approach to children's literature.

He is known for his "Dinosaur Vs." series, the "Ballet Cat" series and "Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great."

Shea will give an author's presentation at 2 p.m. April 13, followed by a book-signing at 2:45 p.m.

At 12:15 p.m. April 14, he will give a presentation. He will hold a book-signing at 1 p.m. and a writing and illustration workshop at 2:30 p.m.

Alicia Salazar, a Mexican American children's book author, also will be on hand.

She is a former elementary school teacher and author of the "Camila the Star" series about a young, Mexican American girl who explores her love of acting, singing and dancing.

Salazar will give a presentation at 10:30 a.m. April 13, followed by a book- signing at 11:15 a.m. and a writing workshop at 12:45 p.m.

At 2 p.m. April 14, she will have an author's presentation. At 2:45 p.m., she will hold a book-signing.

Music will fill the festival as Brian Richards takes the main stage.

His creative take on storytelling combines magic, comedy, juggling, puppets and audience participation, captivating children and fostering excitement for reading.

Musical storytelling will be offered at 11:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. on both days of the festival.

Throughout the weekend, there will be 15 local and regional author tables set up, at which attendees will be able to meet authors and purchase books.

"We want to get the crowd more engaged with those authors, so they will take the stage for 15-minute increments where they can address the crowd and read excerpts from their books," Belardi said.

There will also be themed arts and crafts activities, a scavenger hunt, a new and used book sale and food trucks.

Returning is the bookmark contest, which will feature hand-drawn creations made with crayons, markers or paint by pupils in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.

Festival-goers will be able to vote for their favorites. Winners in each age bracket will receive a basket full of age-appropriate books.

"Part of the bookmark contest is to raise awareness of the festival, and these students participate as a classroom," Belardi said. "It's also a really great way for these kids to show off their artwork."

She said festival organizers typically receive between 600 to 1,000 bookmarks each year.

"Kids always get excited when they see their bookmarks hanging during the festival and they get to show their family and friends," Belardi said.

She said the festival receives positive feedback from attendees who appreciate that it exposes youngsters to award-winning authors and illustrators.

"We want it to be an engaging experience for them," Belardi said. "We're always looking for ways to make it a little bit more fun for the kids. We want them to come and spend the day."

The festival receives support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

There is no fee to attend the festival.

For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit www.thelearn- inglamp.org and click on the "For Families" tab.

The festival's Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/CBFJohnstown.