Award winning children’s author Jack Gantos will be the featured guest for the 24th annual A(ugusta) Baker’s Dozen—A Celebration of Stories on April 23-24 at the Main Library.

Gantos’ writing career began with a diary. He collected anecdotes he overheard at school, mostly from standing outside the teachers’ lounge and listening to lunchtime conversations. He continued to keep a journal throughout his childhood and his Jack Henry stories grew out of actual events that he recorded in those journals. One of his most popular works is the critically acclaimed Rotten Ralph series and his 2001 book, Joey Pigza Loses Control, received the prestigious Newbery Honor. Gantos’ works can take a reader from “cradle to grave” -- from picture books and middle-grade fiction to novels for young adults and adults. He is nationally known for his humorous presentations that delight a wide range of audiences.

The two-day festival features a lecture by Gantos at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 23, and Storytelling for Families, featuring regional and local storytellers, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 24. Gantos will sign copies of several of his popular works at both events, which will also be available for purchase. Both events, which are free and open to the public, will be held at the Main Library.

The two-day celebration honors nationally-known author and storyteller Augusta Baker and continues her legacy of inspiring others to introduce children to the magic of literature and stories. Baker, who spent most of her professional career serving as Coordinator of Children’s Services at the New York Public Library, moved to Columbia in 1980 and was the storyteller-in-residence at USC until her death in 1998.

To further Augusta Baker’s efforts to introduce children to quality literature, the event also features Storytelling for Fourth Graders on Friday morning. The invitation-only event brings together more than 2,000 fourth graders on the grounds of the historic Robert Mills House in Columbia to hear regional and local storytellers.

A(ugusta) Baker’s Dozen is sponsored by RCPL and the USC School of Library and Information Science. Thank you to the 2010 contributors: Friends of RCPL, C.G. Fuller Foundation, Baker & Baker Fund for Children’s Literacy, Historic Columbia Foundation and Richland County School District One.

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The mission of the Richland County Public Library is to provide experiences that Inspire, Inform and Entertain.