The South Carolina State Library is proud to announce the statewide kickoff for the state's public library summer reading programs to be held in Columbia on June 4, 2011. StoryFest SC is a new literacy event which introduces South Carolina's children to literature and story in a family fun setting. The event celebrates the 2011 Collaborative Summer Library Theme One World, Many Stories by bringing together two well-known award-winning authors, Chris Raschka and Alan Katz, along with South Carolina's own Brian McCreight, in a free event for families to be held at the State Museum in Columbia.
StoryFest SC exposes families to children's authors and the art of story and fosters an excitement for reading, especially throughout the summer. All of South Carolina's public libraries participate in the State Library coordinated summer reading program.
Events will be held at the South Carolina State Museum at 301 Gervais Street from 10am to 6pm and is free to the public. There will be two presentations by each author, a craft area, storytelling sessions, bag lunches in the Congaree Room, visits from characters such as SCETV's SmartCat and University of South Carolina mascot Cocky, and a Readers Theater presentation.
Families are encouraged to come together and each child will receive a literacy bag with two signed books by the authors and the State Library's South Carolina Day by Day Family Literacy Activity Calendar. The day's events will bring families from across the state to participate in fun, learning activities in a safe, family friendly setting.
Chris Raschka is author/illustrator of The Hello, Goodbye Window, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal. He is also author of Caldecott Honor Books Yo! Yes?, Charlie Parker Played Be Bop, Mysterious Thelonious, John Coltrane's Giant Steps, and Can't Sleep.
Chris says that his inspiration and his audience are children and that his childhood is a great influence on his work. He regularly visits classrooms in New York and plays the concertina.
Alan Katz writes poetry and is a six?time Emmy nominee for his work on The Rosie O'Donnell Show as well as family programs on ABC and other cable networks, award shows and cable specials. His beloved books include Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs. He even writes parenting articles and is a frequent host on Sirius-XM radio Kids Place Live. 
South Carolina's children's librarians and storytellers will be hosting storytelling for families in the Discovery Center. The day's events end with musician, playwright, and the author Brian McCréight who has been featured at every major annual storytelling festival in South Carolina, and on stage from the ancient amphitheater at Pompeii to Broadway. For all his appearances in radio, TV and film, South Carolina is home. He has been a Children's Librarian and was the Storyteller-in-residence for the Charleston County Public Library from 1994 to 2005.
A detailed schedule of events and information can be found on the State Library's website at http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/storyfestsc. The State Library's partners include Dr. Patricia Feehan and students from the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina, the Youth Services Section of the South Carolina Library Association, USC's Cocky's Reading Express, South Carolina ETV, librarians and volunteers from across the state.
For more information, contact the State Library's Director of Library Development Services, Denise Lyons, at dlyons@statelibrary.sc.gov or 803-734-6061.
