Library’s 41st Annual Pumpkin Bash:
A Children’s Book Festival to Feature Mary Manhein
Ouachita Parish Public Library’s 41st annual Pumpkin Bash: A Children's Book Festival is back from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday, October 19 at the Main Branch Library. Children can mix and mingle with authors, play games, munch on snacks, compete in a costume contest, and even win a free book (while supplies last).
“Reading is important and reading is fun,” said LaKeisha Bosworth, youth services coordinator. “We’ll be celebrating literacy by hosting children’s book authors, giving away children’s books, and even inviting famous children’s book characters like Pete the Cat and Llama Llama to the festival.”
Featured author Mary Manhein will be discussing and selling her new children's book, Claire Carter, Bone Detective: The Mystery of the Bones in the Drainpipe. This is Manhein's first children's book. Ouachita Parish residents may be familiar with Manhein's adult titles, as the Library selected Bone Remains: Cases in Forensic Anthropology for the 2014 River Reads: One Book, One Ouachita title. Manhein is a forensic anthropologist and the former director of the LSU FACES Laboratory.
“I’m excited to have Ms. Manhein back in Ouachita Parish,” said Library Director Robin Toms. “We’re fortunate to have intelligent and creative authors from Louisiana at Louisiana book festivals like our own Pumpkin Bash.”
The Main Branch (1800 Stubbs Avenue, Monroe) and the bookmobile will be open October 19. All other branches will be closed for Pumpkin Bash. Like all Ouachita Parish Public Library programs, this community event is free to the public to attend. Funding for Pumpkin Bash is provided in part by the nonprofit Friends of the Ouachita Public Library organization.
About the Ouachita Parish Public Library
The mission of the Library is to advance literacy, inspire lifelong learning, and strengthen our community by serving everyone in Ouachita Parish. The Library serves a diverse community of approximately 160,000 people. The Library has 10 branches throughout the parish, plus a bookmobile, outreach services and e-services online at www.oplib.org.
