Throughout the week, schools in several area counties will host notable children’s authors as today marks the beginning of Southern Kentucky Book Fest’s Fall into Books event.

SOKY Book Fest, a partnership project of Western Kentucky University Libraries, Warren County Public Library and Barnes & Noble Booksellers, aims to promote literacy, said Ashley Fowlkes, outreach manager for Warren County Public Library. The annual event, sponsored by the Book Fest partners and Citizens First Bank, is designed to provide schools in the region with visits from talented and notable authors.

“We’re able to canvass the region with events that hopefully will inspire young readers,” Fowlkes said. “I think it’s a fabulous program. It’s an amazing thing to see an auditorium or gym full of children who are wrapped up in an author ... the library really wants books to come alive, and these authors ... bring that component to life.”

Five authors are slated to visit schools this week in Barren, Logan, Simpson and Warren counties.

“We try to go to different schools,” Fowlkes said. “We cannot accommodate every school every year, so we try to rotate where we send the authors.”

Today, children’s author Pam Walker visited Lincoln Elementary School and Franklin-Simpson Middle School in Simpson County. Mary Cowles, the WKU Lady Toppers basketball coach, will be at Chandlers Elementary and Auburn Elementary schools in Logan County on Tuesday.

Cowles wrote a children’s book, “Dream Big,” about her lifelong goal to be a Lady Topper, which the university produced through a grant from the NCAA.

“It’s been a big hit with local Hilltopper fans,” Fowlkes said.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Mary Downing Hahn - the author of many popular books featuring ghost stories - will visit Dishman-McGinnis, Richardsville, Rich Pond and Rockfield elementary schools.

“We’re excited about her coming,” said Michael Wix, principal at Dishman-McGinnis Elementary School. “She writes high-interest books, especially for our fourth- and fifth-graders. It’s fun stuff for our kids to read.”

On Friday, Chris Rumble, who wrote the Uncle Stinky series, will be in Barren County visiting Park City and Austin-Tracy elementary schools.

“He’s been to the book fest before, and he’s very entertaining,” Fowlkes said. “We’re tickled to have him again.”

Also during the week, John Adams, who wrote “The Dragonfly Door” and is the winner of the WKU Libraries’ Evelyn Thurman Young Readers Book Award, will be at several schools. He is slated to visit St. Joseph Catholic School and Holy Trinity Lutheran School.

In addition to author visits, the book fest partners will buy and distribute books by these authors to students at no charge.

Fall into Books, Fowlkes said, is an extension of the spring book fest, and has been around for a number of years.

“We have such a great response from the schools,” she said. “They’re excited to know the libraries care enough about reading to send authors to them ... taking the authors to the location provides an opportunity to kids who could not come to the annual Spring Book Fest.

“It seemed like a natural way to reach out to more children.”

— For more information about SOKY Book Fest, contact Tracy Harkins at (270) 745-5016.