The Junior League of Greater Lakeland will host .its annual World of Reading Festival at Barnett Family Park (730 E Orange Street) this Saturday, April 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m featuring the continued theme: “Where will reading take you?”

During the festival, kids can enjoy stories come alive in the highlighted storybook tents!

The highlighted books include A Pizza the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky; Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White; If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff; and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Children’s musical entertainer Jack Hartmann will perform at the event, along with face painting and balloon artists for even more family fun.

Each tent will have a craft for the children to create and take home with them. Once the child has completed the tent activity and received a stamp on their passport, they will select a book (available on a first-come, first-served basis) from the Spotlight Book Tent of one of the four featured books, and then also select an AR book from the Junior League book area to take home for free!

In addition to the activities and book giveaways, there will be two authors conducting  autograph signing and meet and greets: Dr. John Becker, known for his books Maggie the Talented Mouse and Mugambi’s Journey (https://www.johnbeckerauthor.com/), and Marisa Carbone Finotti, who wrote The Treasure of Amelia Island and Paintbrushes and Arrows, will be signing books and giving away free copies to the first 700 participants!

This event is funded in part by a grant from Florida’s Natural Growers Foundation, Inc. of Lake Wales and sponsors: Harrell Family Charities, Inc., Southern Homes, Mid-State Industrial Maintenance, and Publix Charities.

This is a free event open to all families and children of all ages.