21 Feb Read Across America
Join us for Read Across America Day on Friday, February 24! The event will be held from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at USCB Historic Beaufort Campus Center for the Arts, located at 801 Carteret Street in Beaufort, SC. Free admission, books and food! There will also be a several local children’s book authors in attendance as well including Marti Skarupa, Ann Lilly, Andrea Studenc and Stephen Myers to sign books. Pre-K through 3rd grade. Open to the public! Click here to download the flyer!
Learn more about the Authors
MARTI SKARUPA has a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in educational psychology from Kent State University. She has taught children in preschool and Montessori as well as ESL (English as a Second Language), and Spanish as a foreign language to young adults in high school.
In addition to publishing articles for newspapers and magazines, Marti has also published an illustrated bilingual children’s book titled Look How Lovely!: ¡Mira qué lindo! The book has received a five star Readers’ Favorite Award, as well as, an honorable mention by the International Latino Book Awards. Adding to the book’s honor, the Levine museum in Charlotte featured it as one of its books for the museum’s 2015 -2016 exhibit titled ¡NUEVOlution!: Latinos and the New South. She currently splits her time between Ohio and South Carolina.
ANN LILLY – A Kentucky native, Ann Lilly has lived her entire life in the South. In 2001 she moved to Hilton Head with her husband and two daughters and has been writing and sharing stories ever since. In 2015, two of her short stories were published in Tide and Time, an Island Writers Network Anthology.
Scoot’s New Home, her fist children’s book, is about a little boat with a big heart who makes friends as he faces his fears. Set on Hilton Head Island, the book includes sixteen original watercolors of recognizable Lowcountry panoramas and landmarks, illustrated by Ann’s brother, Steve Eilers. Children relate to the story and both residents and visitors appreciate the local details.
Ann is a licensed Realtor with Charter One Realty. When she is not working or writing, she spends time out on the water aboard Scoot.
ANDREA STUDENC, the author and illustrator of 4 books that feature Hair Brain Jane, grew up in Latrobe, PA. She was the cartoonist for her high school newspaper and has always enjoyed all types of art. Even thought she earned a BS degree in environmental science, she always returned to her love of creating art.
Andrea relocated to Hilton Head Island, SC in 1983. She is married to her husband, Scott, and has a son, Brennen, and a daughter, Anzlee.
STEPHEN MYERS earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from the University of South Carolina. He held an internship with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Beaufort County, South Carolina where he was then hired as a finfish scientist. The fish; including Cobia, Red Drum and Striper Bass; were raised to be released in the waterways and off the coasts of Beaufort County. After leaving the DNR, Stephen joined a wildlife tour group and lead dolphin and river tours in and around the waters of the May River. Today, Stephen is a high school science teacher. He teaches Marine Science and has moved to the Saint Helena Sound Marine Estuary where he continually works to educate today’s youth about the importance of taking proper care of The Low Country’s Salt marshes. In their spare time, Stephen and his wife Kendra work to expand their local farm, Myers Family Farms, in order to provide fresh food to the ever growing, ever caring Sea Island community.