MEET OUR AMBASSADORS

Dave Coverly: Cartoonist and Author

You know, if a kid - let's say, for the sake of argument, me - could go to a place where he could find guidance on how to draw and how to think and how to make jokes, wouldn't that be amazing? I mean, all of that in one convenient location would be something, right? Oh, wait, there IS that place: The Ransom Public Library in Plainwell! Ransom was my lab, my creative shelter and my rabbit hole to a lifelong love of cartooning. It was where I learned that humor, as Mark Twain said, contains a nugget of truth, and that the truth was in those books. And those books were at my fingertips, right there in Plainwell. Yeah, it was amazing.

Deborah Diesen: Children's Author

So much has changed but the importance of libraries endures. Books lift us, teach us, entertain us, and connect us. Now more than ever, I am grateful for libraries!

Darci Hannah: Cozy Mystery Author

Libraries are such valuable community resources. A library card is literally a ticket to a lifetime of self-enrichment and entertainment through books, music, movies, magazines, online resources, great programs, and so much more! I wouldn't be a writer today if not for my local library.

D.A. Henneman: Romance Author

As a child wth an active imagination, libraries introduced me to a world of possibilities. As an adult, and now a writer, I can appreciate even more the escape the written word can provide. What a gift libraries are to the communities they serve. They are truly the passport to one's imagination.

Owen Laukkanen and Lucy: Thriller Author and his inspiration

Since I was a kid, I've been in love with my local libraries. What better resource for an avid young reader than a whole building full of stories? One of hte real perks of being an author is getting to visit so many wonderful libraries, from the central branches of North America's biggest cities to tiny, one-room operations in Canada's far north. No two libraries are alike, but I feel the same joy and sense of belonging whenever I walk into one as I did as a young reader who related more to the folks in the stories on the page thatn I did with the people around me. Though I can't visit your library in person this time around, I am so looking forward to meeting its patrons. It's as much fun meeting passionate readers as it is stopping in at the lbiraries.

Nick Petrie: Thriller Author

When I was a little kid, the best day possible was library day with my mom, when I got to carry home a tall stack of fresh books. The librarians cold tell that I was a serious reader, and they bent the rules to let me check out as many books as I wanted. In those days, I always go them back on time.

When I was lonely, the library loaned out excellent company. When I was a student, it gave me a place to stiudy wtih friends. When I had a cold apartment or, later, a young, noisy famil, libraries gave me a warm, quiet place to work. I've written parts of nine novels in one library or another, along with countless short stories and essays.

I'm still gobsmacked when, browsing the stacks, I happen upon one of my own books, worn, dog-eared, and stained from the oil of countless fingers, turning pages forward, always wanting to know what happens next.

I don't mind the wear and tear. After all, I've done more than my share of that to other writer's books. And it's all thanks to the library.

Shanda Trent: Children's Author

Books take us on adventures and help us with our own imaginations. In a world of too much reality, books engage our minds and can help keep us grounded at the same time. Whether you're buying a book like Where the Wild Things Are for a young child, or a YA mystery, you are bringing the experience of adventure, along with seeign their works in other contexts. Get your child hooked on books early to capture your youthful readers' thirst for their entire lifetime.