Community members are invited to bring a magazine for Mission Viejo’s troops during the festival, which takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.at the Oso Viejo Park, 24932 Veterans Way.

The following magazines are sought:

• Music and Entertainment (such as Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, and Card Player)
• Sports and Athletics (such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, Sporting News, and Sports Weekly)
• Automobile (such as Auto Week, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, Automobile, and Road & Track)

Monetary donations are also sought to help offset the cost of buying books and magazines for holiday care packages that will be shipped to Afghanistan in November.

For more information about supporting Mission Viejo’s Marines, call 949-470-3061. Information about the Readers’ Festival is available at www.mvreadersfestival.org.

The free festival, which is expected to attract thousands, is from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Oso Viejo Community Park and the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way.

Lisa Ling is known for her travel commentary on the National Geographic Channel and her sister, Laura, is the co-author of “Somewhere Inside.” The story chronicles her harrowing captivity in and release from North Korea. The pair will join more than 30 other bestselling authors and illustrators.

The Friends Present Mission Viejo Readers’ Festival will feature a cornucopia of food booths, merchandise vendors and entertainment. Signed book copies by featured authors will be on sale at booths operated by the Whale of a Tale Children’s Book Shoppe and Book Events & Authors Unlimited.

Festival patrons are encouraged to bring a canned or non-perishable food item for the local South County Outreach Food Pantry. Free shuttle service will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from the Mission Viejo Civic Center.

For more information, visit www.cmvl.org.

Hennesy stars on soap opera “General Hospital” and on the popular sitcom “Cougar Town” with Courteney Cox.

As an author, she is known for her bestselling “Pandora” series written for young adults and loosely based on the Pandora character from Greek mythology.

Hennesy is one of more than 30 authors and illustrators appearing at the Friends Present Mission Viejo Readers’ Festival, which takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25 at Oso Viejo Community Park and the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way. This free event is sponsored by the Friends of the Mission Viejo Library and features food booths as well as merchandise vendors and entertainment.

Free shuttle service will be available from the Mission Viejo Civic Center, 200 Civic Center, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Whale of a Tale Children’s Book Shoppe will sell signed copies of appearing author’s books.

Festival visitors are encouraged to bring a canned or non-perishable food item for the local South County Outreach Food Pantry.

For more information, visit www.cmvl.org.

Sebold, whose novel was adapted into the 2009 film starring Saoirse Ronan and Mark Wahlberg, will appear with well-known authors and personalities including Lisa and Laura Ling; T. Jefferson Parker; Lee Goldberg; Nancy Wall; Dr. Daniel Amen; M.D., Robin Benway; Ron Carlson; Earlene Fowler; and Robin Glasser. Carolyn Hennesy; Adeline Yen Mah; Barbara Odanaka; Dr. Robert W. Sears; M.D., Diana Wentworth; Jeri Westerson; Paula Yoo; the cartoonists of Studio 5; and authors of the “Familiars” series, Adam J. Epstein and Andrew Jacobson round out the popular authors appearing at this event, which in its inaugural year attracted more than 5,000 people. Authors will be on hand to sign copies of their books, which will be offered for sale.

The free festival is sponsored by the Friends of the Mission Viejo Library and will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along the Village Green at Oso Viejo Park and the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way.

Free shuttle bus service will be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from the Mission Viejo Civic Center, 200 Civic Center. The Mission Viejo Library will be closed that day so library patrons can enjoy a full-filled day at the Readers’ Festival. Along with the opportunity to meet and hear noted bestselling authors and illustrators, festival-goers can enjoy an array of food and merchandise vendors. Young readers will enjoy storytelling and storybook characters roaming the festival grounds.

Festival visitors can help benefit the less fortunate by bringing a canned or non-perishable food item for the South County Outreach Food Drive.

For more information about the Friends Present Mission Viejo Readers’ Festival, visit www.mvreadersfestival.org.

SummerREAD is the Library’s annual free summer reading program, which encourages reading and promotes regular trips to the library during the summer months. Sydney was one of the 3,863 children that participated and she won the bicycle donated by Mission Viejo orthodontist Dr. Sam Veshkini, DDS. Dr. Veshkini was one of a number of generous sponsors of the SummerREAD program, including the Friends of the Mission Viejo Library, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Ruby’s Diner at the Shops at Mission Viejo, Claim Jumper, Legoland, and Cal Elite Kids.

For more information on upcoming events at the Library, visit www.cityofmissionviejo.org/Library/ or call (949) 830-7100.

The one-way plan will be implemented in the courtyard parking lot between the Mission Viejo Library and City Hall. New signage and striping will be installed to alert motorists of the circulation plan, which was approved by the Traffic Committee in July.

Along with better traffic flow and increased pedestrian safety, the one-way plan will reduce conflicting vehicle maneuvers and potential accidents.

During the initial stages of the plan, barricades and temporary signs will be in place until permanent signs are delivered later this month. Library staff will distribute bookmarks and brochures to help notify patrons.

The party, complete with circus characters, balloon art, ice cream and more, was for the 1,400 children who completed 12 hours of reading in the popular program designed to instill a lifelong love of reading.

Mayor Trish Kelley was on hand for the festivities along with the “Jumbo Shrimp Circus” and hundreds of proud parents. Teen volunteers decorated the kids’ faces with painting and scooped up more than 700 servings of ice cream sundaes.

The Mission Viejo Library’s SummerREAD program attracted 3,863 children this year, a 14 percent increase over last summer. The Friends of the Mission Viejo Library funded the entertainment and weekly prizes for the program.

With a memorable stand-up comedy act, the quirky author gave advice to teens on how to win over their parents and deal with their siblings. The show opened with a video followed by guitarist Josh Fix’s rendition of a special Artemis Fowl song.

After Colfer’s stand-up monologue, the talented entertainer from Ireland staged a talk show and interviewed his main book character. The actor who played Artemis delighted the children with his answers to their questions and signed autographs.

Audience members were also treated to an original Disney show featuring a special just-released Artemis Fowl video that can be viewed on www.artemisfowl.com.

For folks who missed the exciting event, A Whale of a Tale Bookstore has extra autographed copies of Eoin’s books for sale. For more information, call 949-854-8288.

The children earned their invitations by finishing the 2010 Reading Game completing 12 hours of reading during the Mission Viejo Library’s free SummerREAD program that encourages a lifelong love of reading. This year’s program attracted more kids than past seasons.

The celebration, which takes place from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., will include ice cream sundaes, face painting, balloons and a brass band. The Jumbo Shrimp Circus will entertain guests with their unique comedy, juggling and magic. A raffle will be held at the end of the party for a bicycle and other fun prizes.

For more information, call 949-830-7100 x5107.

Colfer, author of the “Artemis Fowl” series, is traveling from Ireland to appear in Mission Viejo’s Writers Present program, which takes place at 7 p.m. in the Sycamore Room of the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way.

Dripping in charm and wit, Colfer, who’s also a comedian, will showcase his latest book, “Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex.” The free program will feature guitarist Josh Fix playing a special Artemis song, followed by Colfer’s hilarious monologue. The exciting performance ends with a “talk show” interview with Colfer interviewing his character, Artemis Fowl.

This event is sponsored by Disney, A Whale of a Tale Book Shoppe and the Friends of the Mission Viejo Library. Colfer will sign copies of his books purchased at the event.

For more information and reservations for this FREE event, contact the Library Reference Desk at 949-830-7100 x5105 or Whale of a Tale 949-854-8288.