The Carnegie Arts Center welcomed children, teens, and young adults to their second annual Book Fair in Turlock.

Contemporary authors and illustrators from Northern and Central California participated at the free public event and promoted their books for young audiences.

Readers of all ages were given the opportunity to meet with the authors and learned about them. They were also given the opportunity to purchase copies of their books and have them autographed by the authors.

Authors were asked questions about how long they have been writing, the genre of books they wrote, and what inspired them to write.

Author Michelle A. B. McKenzie (Oakdale), stated “I’m a stay at home mom so I write whenever I have time. I published my first children’s book in around the year 2010.”

McKenzie also mentioned how her books, Beaver’s Big Problem and Beaver’s Big Discovery are silly stories meant to entertain and help broaden children’s vocabulary.

Her books are also helpful in preparing Pre K through fourth grade students for Accelerated Reader (AR) tests.

Author Joanna Rowland (Carmichael), discussed her book, The Memory Box: A Book About Grief.

“I prefer writing non-fictional stories, but I sometimes write stories like The Monstructor which is based on fiction,” said Rowland.

For Rowland, her inspiration was focused on real life events like her friend’s loss. She mentioned how she wanted to write a story that everyone could relate to regardless of age.

She also decided to write The Memory Box: A Book About Grief in a way that didn’t specifically state who the character in the story was grieving for so that it could apply to anyone who has lost someone.

Author, Susan Lowe (Sanger), also prefers writing non-fictional stories.  She wrote the book JOSIE: A Story of Faith and Survival.

Lowe’s inspiration to write her book was her mother.

“Josie, the girl on the front cover is actually my mother. That photo was taken from my mother’s passport,” explained Lowe.

JOSIE: A Story of Faith and Survival, is a story told about her four-year-old mother who was separated from her family during World War II and about the communist leader of Yugoslavia’s attempt to wipe out ethnic Germans.

Keynote speakers also attended the event. Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi, co-authors of the book, Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, spoke about their book on the 1941 United States war with Japan.

Throughout the day activities such as coloring, drawing and story time were available for children.

The authors who participated in the event were: Lynda Bulla (San Joaquin), Kristin Fulton (Columbia), Kathy Gorman (Madera), Linda Knoll (Modesto), Jennifer Kuhns (Hughson), Susan Lowe (Sanger), Michelle A.B. McKenzie (Oakdale), Karen J. Moore (Prather), Adaeze Okoli (Fresno), Joe Ozier (Fresno), John Paul Padilla (Turlock), Gayle Pitman (Sacramento), Joanna Rowland (Carmichael), Christina N. Smith (Modesto), Jaci Wheeler (Salida), and Ron Wilkinson (Turlock).
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at the Carnegie Arts Center and want more information visit their website or attend an orientation and information session on November 18 at 10 a.m.