The South Carolina State Library is proud to announce that award-winning authors/illustrators Rita Williams-Garcia and Sophie Blackall will be featured at StoryfestSC 2017—the state’s summer reading kick-off event—for the seventh year in a row.

StoryfestSC exposes families to children’s authors and the art of story and fosters an excitement for reading, especially throughout the summer. All South Carolina public libraries participate in this coordinated summer reading program.

WHEN:
Saturday, June 3, 2017
from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

WHERE: 
South Carolina State Museum
301 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC

COST:
StoryfestSC is FREE to the public. Events include presentations and book signings by each author, Readers' Theatre, storytelling for all ages, crafts, face painting, and visits from literacy friends Cocky & the Clemson Tiger.

Rita Williams-Garcia

Rita Williams-Garcia is the New York Times bestselling author of novels for young readers including the multi-award winning One Crazy Summer series featuring the Gaither Sisters. She has been awarded the Newbery Honor, the Coretta Scott King Author Award for each book in the One Crazy Summer series, and has been twice-named a National Book Award Finalist. Ms. Williams-Garcia is living her life-long dream of training in the art of boxing at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, New York. She is the mother of two adult daughters and she resides in Queens with her husband Fred.

Sophie Blackall

Sophie Blackall has illustrated over 30 books for children, including the New York Times best selling series, Ivy and Bean and most recently, The Witches of Benevento with John Bemelmans Marciano. She was awarded the 2016 Caldecott medal for her book Finding Winnie and has received four New York Times Best Picture Book Awards. Originally from Australia, she lives in New York and shares a studio in an old garment factory in Brooklyn with four other illustrators and teetering piles of books.

For more information about StoryfestSC 2017, please visit StoryfestSC.org.