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Local authors hit the books at festival

BY CAMILLE GAVIN, Contributing columnist | Wednesday, Nov 04 2009 05:47 PM

Last Updated Wednesday, Nov 04 2009 05:47 PM

Five notable authors and one very entertaining Mark Twain impersonator will be on hand to speak and interact with visitors at the Festival of Books on Saturday at the Marriot Hotel. Each one has strong ties to our community.

Keynote speaker is Pam Munoz Ryan, an award-winning author of children's books who grew up in Bakersfield.

Ryan now lives in San Diego but many members of her extended family still live in our area. She has written 25 books and has a unique ability for storytelling. Several of her books have also been published in Spanish.

For her most recent book, "Paint the Wind," Ryan took horse-riding lessons and also did first-person research relating to wild horses. Her first book, "Esperanza Rising," is a touching story based on the experiences of her maternal grandmother.

Some of Ryan's books focus on special events in the lives of historical figures. "Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride," for example, is set in the 1930s and tells the delightful story of an airplane ride taken by Eleanor Roosevelt, who then was the first lady, with famed aviator Amelia Earhart.

The festival is a fundraiser for the Kern Adult Literacy Council and is sponsored by The Californian. Donna Hylton, executive director of the council, said her organization is serving twice as many students as it did last year and joblessness, along with the state of the economy, has had an impact on its services.

"We had 1,100 students in 2008; now, in 2009, we have 2,000 and I'm only (funded) at half our budget," she said. "A lot of people come to us because they can't get a job, or can't move up in their job, because they can't read well enough."

Proceeds will be used mainly for buying more textbooks and to set up additional sites throughout the county. More than 300 trained volunteers provide the instruction.

"We need more volunteers," Hylton said. "It takes as little as an hour a week to change someone's life."

Four major programs are offered: English as a second language; GED preparation for those who haven't graduated high school; family literacy in which parents and their children learn to read together; and basic education for adults age 18 and older.

Monsignor Craig Harrison, author of "Angel Child," will lead off the festival as first speaker of the day at 10 a.m. The St. Francis Children's Choir will sing as part of his program.

Other speakers include Jeff Nickell, author of "Hard Drivin' Country: The Honky Tonks, Musicians and Legends of the Bakersfield Sound"; Mark Bagby, who brings to life the satire and humor of Mark Twain; and local television personalities Rusty Shoop, talking about his murder mystery, "Blood Harvest" and Miles Muzio, author of a nonfiction book, "Foundations: The Meaning of Life." KBAK news anchor Lisa Krch will read books aloud in the "Children's Corner."

Books will be available for sale and the authors will do book signings. Hylton said the first 500 visitors will receive a copy of a financial planning book donated by Smith-Barney.