Literature Festival Draws 1,000-Plus Students

More than 1,000 students from across the Ozarks attended the eighth annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Children’s Literature Festival in Mansfield on Nov. 5–6, where award-winning children’s author Marc Brown, creator of Arthur, received the festival’s top literary honor. The two-day event featured 10 authors from across the country, including several from the Ozarks, and drew students from Marshfield’s Shook Elementary and schools throughout southwest Missouri. For festival chairman Nicholas Inman, the event was especially meaningful. Not only has he helped guide the festival since its beginning, but the celebration also started in Marshfield. “It actually has a Marshfield connection because the festival began here eight years ago as part of the Cherry Blossom Festival,” Inman said. The festival moved to Mansfield during its second year, giving students the opportunity to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum while taking part in activities centered on reading and writing.

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