Steenburgen Headlining Library Read Aloud Day

Actress Mary Steenburgen and other prominent Ventura County residents will participate Wednesday in “The Day of a Thousand Stars, Great American Read Aloud” at three local libraries.

The sixth annual event, celebrated nationally and sponsored locally by the Ventura County Library Services Agency, will feature celebrities and guests reading aloud from their favorite children’s books.

“Everyone’s taking it very seriously and picking out their own books to read and bringing their favorites,” said Trish Cavanaugh of the county’s Library Services Agency.

At Ventura’s H.P. Wright Library, Ojai musician and songwriter Chris Hillman will be reading to children at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, followed at 10:45 a.m. by Bill Overend, city editor of the Ventura County Edition of The Times. Mark Elliot, KBBY program director and morning radio program personality, will read at 11 a.m., and Steenburgen will entertain children by reading at 11:15 a.m.

At Oxnard’s Soliz-El Rio Library, Julia C. Wilson, editor of The Times’ Ventura County edition, will read a children’s book at 10:30 a.m. She will be followed by Billy and Bob, morning radio personalities at 105.5-FM, at 10:45 a.m. and singer Lee Orgel at 11 a.m.

At the Simi Valley Library, Joanna M. Miller, an education writer for The Times in Ventura County will read at 11 a.m., followed by Stephanie Abrams, KBBY promotion director at 11:15 a.m. Patsy Swayze, a Simi Valley choreographer, dance instructor and mother of movie star Patrick Swayze, will read at 11:30 a.m.