Artist, writer and creativity expert J.H. Everett will delight people of all ages when he and Marilyn Scott-Waters, creator of a paper toy craft book series, appear together Sunday, October 14 at the Mission Viejo Readers’ Festival.
The two co-created the fully illustrated middle-grade nonfiction series, “Haunted Histories: Creepy Castles, Dark Dungeons, and Powerful Palace.” The series follows teen Ghostorian, Virgil Dante, as he investigates history with ghostly tour guides.
Everett, who goes by “Ev,” is an author and illustrator of children’s books and was a regularly contributing illustrator for the Los Angeles Times, Kid’s Reading Corner and a freelance illustrator for the Jim Henson Company. Scott-Waters is the creator of “The Toymaker’s Christmas: Paper Toys You Can Make Yourself” and ‘The Toymaker’s Workshop: Paper Toys You Can Make Yourself.” The two are inviting children of all ages to join them at the Readers’ Festival in creating the individual parts of a castle and learning all about the where, how and why each part of castles developed through history. Role playing will abound as children become kings, queens, barbarians, jesters, courtiers and soldiers. By the end of the session, kids, parents, and author/illustrators will build a castle and help to repel the enemies of their kingdom. This creative team will provide a unique experience for participants to learn history in a beautifully visual and theatrical experience.
Ev and Scott-Waters, who take the stage at 12 p.m., will join other popular authors like former baseball player Jim Abbott, chef and TV personality Stephen Raichlen, novelist T. Jefferson Parker, former O.J. Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark and actress Molly Ringwald at the free festival that brings books to life.
Along with meeting their favorite authors up close and personal inside the Norman P. Murray and Community Center, festival-goers will experience life in the Middle Ages at Oso Viejo Park with live demonstrations of archery, knights in battle, catapult launching and craft activities for all ages. The event includes a live chess game on a life-size board, celebrity and author readings, book signings and sales, fabulous fare and so much more. Queen Elizabeth 1 will stroll the venue knighting folks who recite a poem or sing a song for her.
This free festival, sponsored by the Friends of the Mission Viejo Library, is from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Oso Viejo Park and Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way. With convenient, free shuttle service from the Mission Viejo Library at 100 Civic Center, parking is a breeze as the library will be closed the day of the event.
Volunteers are sought to help in an array of positions and can contact vsullivan@cityofmissionviejo.org for more information.
For more information about this one-of-a-kind festival, visit cityofmissionviejo.org/ReadersFestival.
