Tulare County Library Book Fair back in person, kicks off this weekend in Visalia

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Tulare County Public Library in Visalia is gearing up for its fifth annual book festival.

Saturday's event will have reading activities for all ages, a used book sale and a visit from three authors.

James Ardais is one of the authors.

He is a Fresno native, and a retired judge from the highest court in Central California.

His career in law led him to write five books.

"To write a book, to write a story takes discipline, commitment and a story. And then you have to start," says James.

James was raised by a single mother who helped him learn to read when he struggled as a kid.

It was her guidance that helped him persevere.

"She was a pretty tough lady. She was a combat field nurse in WW2," James mentions "But she always said the same thing. The gifts that you get and what you do with them are the gifts that you give back."

James writes mostly mystery books based on legal concepts.

This weekend, he will be sharing his newest book on human trafficking, called "Trading Innocence."

Hundreds of locals are expected to show up to this weekend's book fair. It is the first one back in person since the pandemic.

This year's theme is "Mystery."

The library's goal is to get kids excited about reading.

Librarian Jonathan Waltmire has been working behind the scenes to make this event happen.

Jonathan says "reading for fun, reading for education does help with things like better sense of self-esteem, more empathy, being able to feel more connected with our community."

The Tulare County Library Book Fair kicks off November 5 at the Visalia branch located at 200 W Oak Avenue.

The event is free and goes from 10 am to 2 pm.