Canterbury School’s Spring Book Fair and Bistro Lunch

At Canterbury School’s Spring Book Fair, visitors will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with award-winning authors as they talk about their books and the craft of writing in an informal setting. Open to the public, the book fair runs Tuesday through Thursday, April 23-25. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily at Canterbury Lower School, 5601 Covington Road.

Canterbury’s Spring Book Fair is a marketplace of books, fine arts and cultures. It features thousands of hand-selected quality books for students and adults, original artwork from favorite local artists, and some of Indiana’s premier authors of young adult fiction and poetry. Gallery Guests, on hand daily, create a lively atmosphere. This year’s guests are local authors Curtis Crisler, Laurie Gray, Claire Ewart, John Baumgartner, Marcia Crawford, Cheri Hallwood, Heather Miller, Suzanne Rogers, Barbara Morrow, Susan Jones, Phyllis Downey, Bonnie Manning and Naida Kirkpatrick. Other guests include local artist Penny French-Deal, Byron Lamm, Alice Eshelman, Steve Presser, Laura Semba, Marcia Presser and Cynthia Presser - Brazil native, cookbook author, and contestant on ABCs new television show “The Taste.” Artwork by Vicki Junk-Wright, local artist and Canterbury High School art teacher, will be for sale.

More than 35 categories, including specialized books for each grade level from kindergarten through middle school, are selected by parent volunteers, school librarians and teachers.

“We have everything from cookbooks to classics,” said Shelby Lamm, parent and book fair steering committee member. “It is a marketplace atmosphere, a fun place for all ages to browse for books.”

“Planning for the book fair began last fall when a committee of parents and teachers researched and selected all of the books,” said Helen Burkart Presser, Lower School librarian, author, and book fair coordinator.

Volunteers also plan an informal Bistro Lunch during the book fair. “The lunch is a favorite among parents because it features a panel of experts discussing quality literature recommendations for specific grade levels,” said Presser. The lunch is held in the Canterbury Lower School Commons on Wednesday, April 24, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost for the lunch is $10, and the deadline to register is April 22. All events are open to the public.

For more information about the book fair or to register for the Bistro Lunch, contact Helen Presser at hpresser@canterburyschool.org. See the complete schedule and a list of books available by featured local authors at www.canterburyschool.org.