Who doesn’t love newest selections and personally autographed books? Plus they make great holiday gifts. And with more than 3,000 titles available, this makes the OCC Book Festival one of the world’s largest bookstores. Amanda Keho, a business graduate, a kid lover, and a qualified Montessori teacher will be presenting her book, ‘TJ and his Wheelable Chair’ at Orange County Children’s Book Festival. The book shows how disabilities are no barrier to a happy and fulfilling life. Over 125 authors, more than 25 illustrators, dozens of storytellers and great family-oriented entertainers. Get mesmerized by the professional storytellers and hear celebrity authors share ‘inside scoop’ about their latest books. Also, How about a trackless train ride around the OCC campus for kids and parents? Or kids can visit the model trains with interactive controls.  And many exhibitors have kids crafts in their booths. Be a part of the 25,000 people who attend the Festival each year for the love of books and an abundance of family fun activities such as face painting, crazy hair styling, and animal petting area, musicians, dancers, balloons, readings, drawings and so much more.  It’ll be a day your family will be talking about for weeks and weeks.

Born of Lebanese parents in London in 1981, Omar Sabbagh is a widely published poet and critic. His poetry and prose, critical and creative, have been widely appreciated and loved. Two of his extant poetry collections are: My Only Ever Oedipal Complaint and The Square Root of Beirut. He is releasing a collection of short stories alongside Dye and Other Stories in 2017. In Dye and Other Stories, Omar Sabbagh has collated pieces, some of which have appeared in literary journals, blending high-brow humour, evocative environments, and colourful characters. The author's travels are among inspirations for his work: "The psychological realism, the allegory and the surreal dream-like narrative explore, tangentially, places like Beirut and Rome." The centrepiece of Sabbagh's title received First Place in the Cinnamon Press Annual Short Story Prize 2016, described by the judging panel as 'being charming, beguiling, vivid and very funny.' Join Omar as he takes you on the journey of Dye and Other Stories.

Join Heather May-Warren at Imagination Kidz on Friday 20th October at 10am. Heather will be in the Play Cafe performing a reading from her book 'The Little Red Airplane'. 'The Little Red Airplane' On a picnic at the beach Elly finds a little toy airplane. It is sad and broken and needing a home, but not for long. Soon the little plane is fixed up, painted, and named Red to match his shiny new paint. Red loves living with Elly and her family, and meeting the animals who live with them, but when Mother Hen's chick goes missing what can he do to help his new family?

Michael Pawlowski, after graduating from the University of Toronto, served the community in the insurance and legal professions. His memberships have included the Canadian Authors' Association, Brave New Works, Niagara Historical Society, Insurance Institute, Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Ontario, and the Law Society of Upper Canada. The obligation to tell ‘the rest of the story' has motivated his all of his literary endeavours. Michael is absolutely delighted with the publication of his novel: Cassino, Conquest of the Mountain. Join him as he reads and presents his book Cassino, Conquest of the Mountain. The book is about the unfolding events on the 1st of September 1939 that will change lives forever. For on this date, the Nazis invaded Poland - entire families would be erased and the country itself would disappear for decades. Cassino, Conquest of the Mountain will be a sought after read especially for those concerned with the Polish experience of World War II.

Scotland born and educated Moira Andrew’s first love was writing poetry for adults and currently living in Somerset she devotes herself to this. She was a lecturer in education at a College and part-time tutor in Creative Writing at a University. Now a full-time writer and poet-in-schools, Moira has been writing and publishing poetry since the 1980s. Much of her work has been for children and teachers. Moira Andrew's poems are funny, quirky and fresh. They offer shrewd observations of older generations with profound insight into the strangest regions of our own lives. There are poems which paint landscapes of intense colour and fierce heat, brought together in Breakfast with Swallows. Having an unusual gift of being able to write about everyday life and making it special. Listeners’ faces light up with recognition when she touches on something that illuminates their own experiences. But she goes well beyond the everyday when she writes about her love of birds, flowers and the nature that surrounds us. Join her for an adventurous experience as she talks about the book that is a feast.

Brian Bird has spent most of his working life as an electrical test engineer, before deciding to become an author. He came up with the story of Haley-Ann the Alien whilst up a ladder and started to type the book on his mobile phone. He is married with two children and for many years has written funny rhymes for his own children's entertainment, before deciding to write stories for others to enjoy.   Do you believe in UFOs and Haley-Anns? From far beyond, in deepest space, Haley-Ann the alien, lived in a lonely place. This gave her an idea to go in search of a friend. Upon finding planet Earth, she decides to descend. Humphrey appears just as the morning sun rises, who soon discovers that Haley-Ann is full of surprises!     Join Brian bird at the hospital around the children's wards and outpatients department as he reads the book to the children in the hospital.  Brian will be giving each child a free copy of the book.

Simon Adepetun has a degree in English Studies and a Postgraduate certificate in Theatre Studies from the University of Manchester. Simon is married with three children, works as a Full time Sales Manager and enjoys spending quality time with his family.   He is visiting, with the primary school, the central library for his book The Bee Hive. He’ll be reading the book to people and talk about writing. The book is about an eleven-year-old Daniel Jeremiah Chambers has parents Philip and Susan who love work and shopping and who just don't listen. Daniel is an only child ... no, he's lying ... he has a sister, Alice, who has a dolly fixation; Dan is sure she is an alien. So, Dan has a few problems, none insurmountable, until his friend, Benji, introduces him to the find of the century - a derelict bee hive which could become a den. Of course, such a simple thing is never so simple and when Dan finds a map well, all kinds of things just go horribly wrong.

Now who doesn't love a book on revenge? Because Eddie will doing the reading and signing of his book "Ordinarily Unthinkable" as part of SouthCart Books annual Halloween ‘Scarefest’ event. This is the fourth year for the event and like every year this time will be just as exciting or probably even more.   Eddie’s book will make you laugh, it’ll make you grim and almost release a few tears. A book the reader can relate and believe in. "Ordinarily Unthinkable", is an extraordinarily fantastic thriller with many twists and turns. It will keep you captivated and the description of events are very realistic as if you’re living in the event. It will keep you hooked and you will find yourself thinking about it every now and then.   It’ll leave you wanting for more and will be impossible to put the book down. The story that makes you smile, make you winch and almost feel the pain of the characters. The novel seamlessly guides you from humour to sadness, kindness and also all out empathy for the lead character. Get ready to awaken your appetite for reading once again.