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Author visits in Lebanon

Story times and school visits in Lebanon.

A Maine children's author, a stack of coloring pages, and a pocket hug for every child to take home.

Lebanon families travel for most things. Courtney would rather come to you: a school visit, a library story time, or a table at a community day.

What a visit looks like

Courtney's sessions are called Read, Color, and Craft, and they run in that order. She reads one of her books aloud (Lola's Pocket Hug, Nolan's Pocket Hug, or Carving Her Own Trail, depending on the season and the group), asks a couple of talk-about-it questions, hands out character coloring pages, and finishes with the pocket hug craft: every child colors and cuts out a tiny heart and tucks it in a pocket before they leave. Books are available to buy and sign.

Sessions suit preschool through early elementary and run about 45 minutes. Libraries, preschools, elementary classrooms, daycare centers, and community events are all welcome. Mystery Reader visits, where the class does not know who is coming, are a favorite.

Good moments to book

The weeks before and after the start of school, when first-day feelings are fresh. Winter, when Ava's snowy mountain story fits the season. Any week a class is working on feelings, kindness, or trying new things. And summer reading programs, which are often the easiest calendar to get onto.

How to book

Use the visit request form and tell Courtney the town, the group, the ages, and a couple of dates that could work. She replies within a few days. If you need something to hand to a principal or a library director first, the one-page flyer covers it. The story time kit lays out the whole session if you want to preview it.

Nearby: Springvale, Sanford, Alfred, Shapleigh, Acton, Waterboro, and the rest of York County.

Read it before the visit

Get the book for your classroom first.

Lola carries a tiny heart in her pocket that reminds her she is safe and loved wherever she goes.

Courtney Owen holding Lola's Pocket Hug at a book display
Courtney with Lola's Pocket Hug at a local book display
About the author

Stories written a few towns over.

Courtney Owen is a mom from Springvale, Maine. Her Pocket Hug books help little hearts feel braver, calmer, and more connected, and her visits are the same idea out loud: a story, a craft, and something small to carry home.

Book a Read, Color, and Craft visit.

Tell Courtney the town, the group, and a couple of dates. She will get back to you within a few days.