On Oct. 7, elementary school children gathered on the lawn of Glen Rock Borough hall for the town’s Fourth Annual Children’s Book Festival.
Twenty plus authors gathered to talk about their books under tents that were assembled on the lawn protecting the books, and authors, who were sitting at their tables from the steady rain and periodic downpours throughout the day.
Tents were set up with “dual author” display tables, showcasing the author’s name and work. Students could walk up directly to the table and start a conversation with the writers. As well as being able to purchase any books displayed on the table.
Jan Carr, a children’s book author, was particularly excited about this festival. Carr has older children of her own, so being able to talk to younger kids was a contributing factor to her enthusiasm.
“It’s nice to see people come together,” said Carr. “And to see the kids really excited about reading.”
Throughout the day, the festival hosted a steady stream of attendees. Many display tables were constantly occupied, regardless of unpredictable weather such as heavy downpours, mist, and high winds.
“You can tell the community is really passionate about books,” Carr mentioned. “I mean, there’s so many people here and in the rain,” Carr said with a smile.
Young students were given the opportunity to have face to face conversations with the authors of many different types of children’s book genres such as comics books, picture books, and chapter books.
Gigi Carlisle, a sophomore at Glen Rock high school attended the festival and took notice of its setup, and importance to the community.
“I thought it was nice how there were so many options for buying books,” Carlisle said. “I liked how it was a big community of everyone. And there were a lot of places to buy books and all of them were so welcoming, and it was a very good environment.”
The event was run by local book store, The Curious Reader, owned by Jim Morgan. The Morgans and manager Chris Lutz attended the event and provided pizza for attendees.
