Marc Brown, creator of the popular Arthur series for young readers, will be the third author in 2012 edition of Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series. Brown will appear in the Linn-Mar High School auditorium on Thursday, May 3, at 7:00 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public, and no tickets are required. The Out Loud! Author Series is a program of the Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Hiawatha Public Libraries.

The Arthur series—which features an adventuresome aardvark, his quirky group of friends, and his precocious little sister D.W.—has been delighting young people since the publication of Arthur’s Nose in 1976. The books are the basis for the PBS television series Arthur.

Following his evening presentation, Brown will take questions from the audience and then sign books. The Cedar Rapids Barnes & Noble will be on hand with copies of Brown’s work available for purchase.

Adult attendees can enter to win one of three $50 Barnes & Noble gift cards that will be given away at the event. There will be additional gift card giveaways for the children in attendance. Additionally, adult attendees can enter to win one of two Nook Color e-readers that will be given away at the end of the Out Loud! season.

During his visit to the area, Brown will give two presentations to second graders from the Linn-Mar, Marion Independent, and Cedar Rapids Community School Districts. Both of those presentations, which are free for attending schools and will also be held in the Linn-Mar High School auditorium, will have full houses of well over 800 children apiece.

The Out Loud! Author Series will present five additional authors in 2012 including Linn Area Reads author Nicolette Hahn Niman (May 11), comics creator and scholar A. David Lewis (June 8), paranormal teen romance writer Wendy Delsol (June 21), bestselling thriller writer James Rollins (July 1), and science writer Sam Kean (July 13).

More information about the Out Loud! Author Series is available at www.metrolibrarynetwork.org/outloud.

Out Loud! The Metro Library Network Author Series is supported by the Giacoletto Foundation with media support from The Gazette and event book sales provided by Barnes & Noble Booksellers.