As we approach the new year, one of the more impressive events — one with value on several levels — is shaping up in the form of the Savannah Book Festival.
It’s scheduled for Feb. 14-17 at Trustees Theater and six venues around Telfair Square. Headliners include names such as David Baldacci, James Patterson and Dave Barry, each of whom has written numerous best sellers and has thousands of dedicated followers.
But that’s only a piece of the story. The festival’s organizers are targeting younger readers and taking their efforts into our public schools. Therein lies the potential for long-term benefit.
On Tuesday, through the book festival’s efforts, books donated by Patterson were presented to Oglethorpe and Bartlett middle schools and Johnson and Beach high schools.
On Feb. 16, young readers will get a chance to hear and meet author Jeff Kinney who writes the popular “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series through the book festival’s SBF@School program designed to encourage young readers.
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” is about a wisecracking but smaller, weaker, less popular student named Greg Heffley and his struggles in middle school.
Kinney initially released “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” online, but online readers wanted a printed version, and the book was published in 2007 and became a best seller and an award winners.
Other books in the series include “Rodrick Rules,” “The Last Straw,” “Dog Days,” “The Ugly Truth,” “Cabin Fever” and “The Third Wheel,” which was the largest selling hardcover book of 2012 with more than 6.5 million copies printed.
Currently, more than 85 million “Wimpy Kid” books are in print in 41 languages and more than 44 countries.
“Start Your Morning with Jeff Kinney” will be presented at 10 a.m. on Feb. 16 at Trustees Theater. Tickets go on sale today for $5. Call 912-525-5050 or go to www.savannahboxoffice.com.
Patterson’s books were presented as part of the SBF@School program. He is the keynote speaker for the 2013 festival, which for the first time is placing an emphasis on the young adult genre with the theme “Find Yourself in Books.”
Fifty copies of Patterson’s “The Angel Experiment” were donated to Beach, and 50 copies of “The Dangerous Days of Daniel X” were given to Johnson. Fifty copies of “Witch &Wizard” were presented to Oglethorpe, and 50 copies of “Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life” went to Bartlett.
Book festival board member Jenny Long said Patterson donates 2,000 books a month to schools across the country.
When Long and fellow board member Don Sturtz distributed the books, she said, students at each stop were familiar with them.
“It’s exciting to see kids get excited about reading,” she said. “That’s what Patterson is doing.
And that’s what the Savannah Book Festival is doing, too, with its dual programs to target younger readers.
Bartlett Principal Jim Heater said books pave the way for a better life.
“Books mean the students can go on a journey wherever the books take them,” he said.
So, yes, the book festival is a positive thing for Savannah in terms of luring well known authors and tourists, but, long term, the payback from helping to generate a love of reading among school-age children could overshadow all its other benefits.
The festival’s board president, Stephanie Duttenhaver, executive director Robin Gold and other officials and board members deserve significant credit for that effort.
For more information and an initial schedule of events for the festival, visit www.savannahnow.com/bookfest.