Authors help Medina business celebrate Independent Book Store Day

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Todd Bensley of Medina waits for his signed copy of Will Bardenwerper’s book Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America.

MEDINA – Three visiting authors brought a slew of customers to Author’s Note on Saturday for celebration of Independent Book Store Day.

Customers lined up for signed copies of the latest books by Doogie Horner of Alfred, Mylisa Larsen of Sennett and Will Bardenwerper of Pittsburgh.

Since moving home from California with her husband Phil to purchase the book store, New York Times Best-Selling author Julie Berry has touted the benefits of an “indie” (independently-owned) book store.

“If you can’t visit one, order online from one,” Berry urges. “Post a photo or a graphic to your social media about your love for indie bookstores and why you choose them over more corporate options. Help people to understand, as you do, the true value we bring and why independent options are vital to a healthy book world and to healthy communities everywhere.”

(Left) Donald Fernberg of North Chili receives his copy of a book on the Batavia Muckdogs by author Will Bardenwerper. (Right) Carson Bale, 5, left, and his brother Mason, 8,  hold autographed books by author Doogie Horner during Independent Bookstore Day Saturday at Author’s Note in Medina.

One of the families who came to visit the authors was Andy and Ann-Fisher Bale of Medina with their sons, Mason, 8, and Carson, 5.

Both of her boys like to read, Ann said, and each went home with signed copies Horner’s Invisible Boy series.

Horner said this was his first visit to Medina and he was enjoying it. An artist, illustrator, graphic novelist and stand-up comedian from America’s Got Talent, Horner took part in an assembly on Friday at Wise Intermediate School, where he showed the students how to make comics.

Alina Patterson of Middleport, a fourth-grade teacher at Wise Intermediate School, was so impressed with Horner’s presentation Friday she brought her son Lee, 9, a third-grader at Roy-Hart Elementary School to meet the author.

Horner shared he is working on book number three in The Invisible Boy series about a young boy who has to move to a new school and is afraid.

Mylisa Larsen signs copies of her book, Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t be Better, for Sophia Prahm, 11, of Medina and her friend Avery, 12, during a celebration of Independent Bookstore Day at Author’s Note.

Mylisa Larsen is a nationally-acclaimed author of middle grade and children’s fiction who is an especial local favorite, Berry said.

“Her visits a few years ago presenting Playing Through the Turnaround to local schools left her with a large fan base in the area,” Berry said. “So we are thrilled to welcome her back to sing copies of the acclaimed sequel Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t be Better, along with her other titles.”

Sophia Prahn of Medina, 11, and her friend Avery T., 12, both said it was really exciting to read Larsen’s books.

“I feel audiences my age will really relate to her books,” Avery said.

Sophia added when she reads Larsen’s books she has a mix of feelings, but always something she can relate to.

Larsen, who has been writing since she was in fifth grade, said she loves Author’s Note Bookstore. She explained her contemporary fiction novels are for middle school grade readers. She said Playing Through the Turnaround is about six kids trying to save their jazz band, while Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t be Better is about a kid whose mom is dealing with mental illness, and the trip they take across the United States to visit an uncle they’ve never seen before.

Author Doogie Horner presents an autographed copy of his latest book, The Invisible Boy, to Lee Patterson, while his mother Alina holds the first book in the series.

Will Bardenwerper’s book Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America is a nationally published title based on the story of the Batavia Muckdogs.

The book stems from an article Bardenwerper wrote about the elimination of a Minor League Appalachian League for Harper’s Magazine.

“Local author Bill Kauffman contacted me and reminded me of the situation here with the Muckdogs and invited me to come and talk baseball,” Bardenwerper said. “I came and he introduced me to the new team they started to replace a major team.”

One of the first customers in line for Bardenwerper’s book was Don Feinberg of Lyndonville. Fernberg graduated from Medina High School in 1962 and said no matter where you grew up, whether it was Batavia or some other small town, most of the communities had a baseball team.

His first connection to the Batavia Muckdogs was a number of years ago when he was living in the city and came to Lyndonville for the Fourth of July parade. He met two ladies there, one whose daughter had been invited to sing the National Anthem at a Muckdog’s game.

“I thought in 30 minutes I can be in Batavia,” Fernberg said.  “I can see the Muckdog’s game and hear her sing.”

Next to meet Bardenwerper were Todd Bensley and his wife Nicole of Medina.

“I’ve always been a baseball fan,” Bensley said. “Every kid I knew growing up would get out of school and walk to the local drug store to buy a 10-cent pack of baseball cards with gum in it. It was exciting to see a book about the Muckdogs. I have always been interested in baseball and small towns.”

In addition to the visit of the three authors, Author’s Note had special activities, giveaways, drawings, indie exclusives and goodies.

Books ordered online are always shipped free from Author’s Note.