The 2018 Family Reading Festival is over, and attendance was 622–our highest yet!
Now get ready for the 2020 Festival–it is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 14, 2020.
Read below for an overview of the November 2018 Festival.
Every Hero Has a Story
Attendees got their ComicCon on at the 2018 Family Reading Festival, where “every hero has a story”! The Family Reading Festival was on Saturday, November 3, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Iola High School.
Authors
Authors appearing at the Festival were:
Josh Cotter, author of Skyscrapers of the Midwest and other graphic novels.
Mark Eberle, author of Kansas Baseball, 1858-1941.
Stephen Gilpin, illustrator of Wires and Nerve graphic novel series.
Michael Graves, author of To Leave a Shadow and Shadow of Death, mysteries set in 1930s Kansas.
Carol Murray, author of Cricket in the Thicket.
Marc Tyler Nobleman, author of Boys of Steel, Bill the Boy Wonder, and other graphic novels (via Skype).
Ian Michael Spurgeon, author of Soldiers in the Army of Freedom: the 1st Kansas Colored, the Civil War’s First African American Combat Unit.
Roderick Townley, author of The Great Good Thing, A Bitter Magic and other young adult novels.
Keynote
The keynote was presented by Brian McTavish, “Comic Genius: Masterworks of American Graphic Storytelling”.
Activities
Author presentations and book signings
Make ‘n’ Take room
Talk Read and Play Allen County
Superhero Training: Leap tall buildings with a single bound like Superman! Throw a shield like Captain America! And more!
Cosplay and photo booth: come in superhero costume if you want to; take your picture posing with Batman, Captain America, Superman, or Wonder Woman; make your own comic scene with props and speech bubbles
Comic Book Reader’s Theater, performed by ACC drama students
Reading and hero-related exhibits
Virtual reality expeditions
Storytimes
Batman & Bill film
Appearances by Paw Patrol characters Marshall and Chase
Basket raffle
Funders
Thanks to our funders for the 2018 Festival!
Helen Gates Whitehead Testamentary Trust
Iola Convention and Tourism Committee
Cox Communications
Friends of Iola Public Library