Mark your calendars for Nov. 5 because Buckeye Book Fair is back for a 24th year and it promises to be better than ever.
For those with a passion for reading there is no better place to be from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 5 than Fisher Auditorium on the campus of OARDC for the Buckeye Book Fair.
For the last 24 years Buckeye Book Fair has brought the best of Ohio’s authors to Wooster and this year will be no exception.
Ninety-six authors, illustrators and photographers will be on hand for this year’s event to showcase nearly 300 different books on such varied topics as the Kardiac Kids of the Cleveland Browns 1980 team and a children’s book about a mouse who stows away in a child’s goody bag so he can go trick or treating.
Billed as the largest one-day literary event in Ohio, Buckeye Book Fair exclusively features the works of Ohio authors and illustrators or books on Ohio topics. Since its inception in 1987 nearly 1,000 authors have participated and signed close to 200,000 books.
The opportunity for book lovers to meet their favorite authors and have the books personally autographed has long been the major draw for Buckeye Book Fair, as have the well-known local celebrities that are on hand to autograph books and mingle with their fans.
Cleveland artist and author Tom Wilson Jr. will be on hand to celebrate four decades of bringing everyone’s favorite short, bald-headed optimist – Ziggy – to life on the pages of newspapers across the country. Wilson, who took over the day-to-day operation of the beloved comic strip from his father in 1987, will be signing a newly released collection of the best Ziggy comic strips from 1971-2011, entitled Ziggy – 40 Years.
Legendary Cleveland television personality and meteorologist Dick Goddard will also make special appearances at this year’s Buckeye Book Fair. Goddard will be on hand to chat with fans about his 50-year television career and sign copies of his book, Six Inches of Partly Cloudy.
This year’s Buckeye Book Fair is also packed with special events for children and adults alike.
At 2 p.m., New York Times best-selling author Regina Brett will share lessons she learned from cancer, being a single mom and stumbling through various occupations until she found her true mission in life. Brett will be on hand in the auditorium to talk about some of her favorite life lessons straight out of the pages of her book, God Never Blinks.
At 3, children will be invited to grab crayons and paper and join illustrator Steve Harpster as he teaches his young audience members that drawing is as easy as one, two, three by turning simple numbers into lively cartoon animals.
Throughout the day children of all ages will also have the opportunity to take a closer look at a Soap Box Derby car, compliments of long-time All-American Soap Box Derby manager Jeff Iula, and interact with the stars of Sandra Philipson’s books – Springer Spaniel Tak and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Ollie.
Funds raised during the Buckeye Book Fair are used to provide grants to Ohio literacy programs, community libraries and schools. Since its inception in 1987, the nonprofit organization has awarded 247 grants totaling just shy of $200,000 to programs throughout the state.
For more information on Buckeye Book Fair, log on their website at http://www.buckeyebookfair.com.
Published: October 26, 2011









