Award-winning children's author Robert Lawrence (R.L.) Stine of Goosebumps fame and four other nationally recognized authors will speak and sign books at Carroll Community College's eighth book fair this weekend.
Wes Unseld, former Baltimore and Washington Bullets center, coach and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, will be the honorary chairman of the event.
"I'm looking forward to enjoying myself," said Unseld, a Carroll County resident. "I understand it's a fabulous event."
Random House Inc., a publishing company with a distribution center in Westminster, partners with the college for the event. Random House is the publisher for all of the authors who are speaking at the fair.
Christopher Corbett, author, journalist and professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will kick off the event at 8 p.m. today at the college's Scott Center. Corbett plans to talk about the legend surrounding the Pony Express, the focus of his book Orphans Preferred.
All other events at the free book fair are scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow at locations around the campus on Washington Road in Westminster.
Other authors attending the event will include Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, who wrote The Rule of Four, a suspense novel about four Princeton University roommates. Marita Golden will promote her latest book, Don't Play in the Sun. Golden is from Prince George's County and has had numerous fiction and nonfiction books published over the past 20 years.
Free Random House books will be distributed to children.
"It's important to make sure all children walk away with books," said Steven Wantz, executive director of the Carroll Community College foundation.
Wantz said the book fair is the college's signature fund-raising event. All proceeds benefit the foundation, which provides financial resources to support the educational mission of the college. Wantz said that last year's event raised about $20,000.
The college expects to generate funds through a silent auction of about 25 signed, first edition and limited edition books.
Information: 410-386-8155.
