Children’s Bookstore Marks 1st Anniversary

The children’s bookshop Tall Tales and Short Stories, at 1145 Lindero Canyon Road in Thousand Oaks, celebrates its first anniversary this week with a series of readings. Carol Rosenberg will read from the David Saltzman book “The Jester Has Lost His Jingle” at 5 tonight. And Barry Saltzberg will play songs and read from his latest book, “This Is a Great Place for a Hot Dog Stand,” at 2 p.m. Saturday.

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Barnes & Noble events this week at 4360 E. Main St., Ventura, include: “Merlin Returns” story time for young children hosted by poet Dale Wayne Jackson at 7 p.m. Friday. . . . Joni E. Tada, an artist and advocate for the disabled, will sign her book “Heaven: Your Real Home” at 4 p.m. Saturday. . . . Norman Mallory will read poetry at 7 p.m. Tuesday. . . . And games for fourth- to eighth-graders based on R. L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” series are scheduled at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

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Margaret Brownley, the popular Simi Valley author of contemporary and historical romance novels, will lead a seminar focusing on writing and marketing of the romance novel. Brownley will also talk about contracts, royalties and how to get an agent. The intensive one-day seminar begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Learning Tree University’s Thousand Oaks campus. Call 497-2292 for registration details.

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Sophie Dunbar, whose new mystery, “A Bad Hair Day,” is set in New Orleans, will sign at noon Sunday in Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

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Rabbi Simon Jacobson, oral scribe, lecturer and editor of “Toward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson,” will address the Conejo Jewish Academy at 8 p.m. Tuesday at 741 Lakefield Road, Westlake Village. Until his death last year, Schneerson had been leader of the Lubavitch movement for 40 years. Tickets are $10. Call (818) 991-0991 for details.

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UP THE COAST: Richard North Patterson, author of best-selling courtroom thrillers including “Degree of Guilt” and “The Final Judgment,” will keynote the 13th annual Writer’s Conference scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Schott Center, 310 W. Padre St., Santa Barbara. There is no charge for the event, which includes workshops on many subjects of interest to aspiring writers. Register in advance or at the Schott Auditorium on the day of the conference.

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Artists and writers from Image’s Wildstorm Studios will discuss their work from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Metro Comics, 15 W. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The first 100 people to sign in for a place in line will get a free comic book. Call 963-2168.

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Religion scholar J. Gordon Melton will discuss and sign “The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead” at 7 p.m. Saturday at SuperCrown Books, 3985 State St., Santa Barbara.

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William Kittredge will sign his latest book, “Who Owns the West?”--a meditation on how the West got into its present state--at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Chaucer’s Books, 3321 State St., Santa Barbara.