Camarillo, CA. - CSU Channel Islands (CI) will host the 6th Annual Children’s Reading Celebration and the 35th Annual Young Authors’ Fair on Saturday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at CI’s John Spoor Broome Library. The program is sponsored by the Library, the English Program, Ventura County Reading Association (VCRA), Target Foundation, and the Ventura County Office of Education.

The featured author this year is Kristine O’Connell George, author of the multi-award winning children’s book Old Elm Speaks. George is not only a writer and poet, she is a tadpole rancher who lives in the Santa Monica Mountains with her family. Children and their families will be able to meet the author and receive a free autographed book. This gift is funded by an early childhood literacy grant from the Target Foundation.

The day will feature hands-on participation in crafts and various activities. CI students in the English Program, as part of their service learning component, will be reading aloud to children. Children will also have a chance to read dozens of books written and illustrated for the Young Authors’ Fair by K-12 students in Ventura County. If a child’s school participates in the Ventura County Reading Association’s Young Authors’ Fair, then that child is eligible to write a book and have his or her teacher enter it to be displayed and read at the Celebration on April 9.

Kristin Storey, VCRA President, said, “Honoring all students’ voices is critical and the earlier the better! Words are power and events like the Young Authors’ Fair empower all of our children to share their stories, to speak out for a better world and to be inspired by the other young authors in their schools and communities.”

The event is free and open to the public. Free parking will be available on campus in specific lots. Once on campus, follow the directional signs to the designated parking lot. For additional information about VCRA’s Young Authors’ Fair please visit http://www.vcrareading.org/YA.shtml. For more information or to RSVP to the Celebration, visit http://library.csuci.edu/reading/index.php.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research.