On July 13, the Ohioana Library and the State Library of Ohio, in collaboration with the Ohio Center for the Book and Choose to Read Ohio advisory council members, hosted a reception of recent Floyd’s Pick Book Award winners and honorees at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus. Ohio Center for the Book Coordinator Don Boozer participated in the event and also announced the Great Reads from Great Places selections to be highlighted at the National Book Festival.
There were nine authors in attendance: Jenn Bishop, Will Hillenbrand, Mary Kay Carson, Tracy Subisak, Aiko Ikegami, Loren Long, Jashar Awan, Mindy McGinnis, and Michelle Houts. Tracy Subisak is the 2022 Floyd’s Pick winner. Read the State Library’s coverage of the event at their website.
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Mr. Boozer was pleased to announce that Tracy Subisak was the 2022 Great Reads from Great Places youth selection. Her book, Jenny Mei is Sad, is a wonderful celebration of the importance of friendship and provides a hopeful message for our time. He was also able to acknowledge another Great Reads author in attendance at the reception: Loren Long’s Little Tree was the 2016 Great Reads selection! With the Library of Congress encouraging state Centers for the Book to also choose an adult Great Reads selecting starting this year, Mr. Boozer also announced that Derf Backderf’s Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio would be represented at the National Book Festival as well. With Superman being “born” in Ohio and the state being home to numerous comics creators, the Ohio Center for the Book has chosen the promotion of comics as a storytelling medium as one of its focuses. Backderf’s book is an excellent example of the potential of the comics medium.
Mr. Boozer also had the opportunity to talk to celebrated author and artist Will Hillenbrand. Mr. Hillenbrand had recently been interviewed by Laura Maylene Walter for an upcoming episode of the Ohio Center for the Book’s podcast, Page Count, and he had very nice things to say about the conversation they had. We’re looking forward to posting the episode in the future.