Star Wars Reads - Night and Day

photo courtesy of
Brunswick Library

For the Great Lakes Base and Ohio Garrison, “Star Wars Reads Day” actually started the night before – at the Brunswick Public Library.  You may remember we’d (not long ago) visited that library for Free Comic Book Day, and the response by the public was so overwhelmingly positive that the library decided to host a second Star Wars themed (after hours) event.  And just like last time, many of the librarians decided to get dressed up and help make the evening full of Star Wars/Reading FUN!

This time around, I decided to go with my Jedi costume – which may have been a tactical error (on my part) when you realize that I’m the 6’2” guy carrying a lightsaber, in a room full of maybe a dozen kids wearing Darth Vader Halloween costumes – oh… it was ON!!!

The next morning, after some breakfast while watching the newest episode of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” – it was time to head over to Barnes and Noble at Crocker Park.  This was our first time EVER trooping at the popular outdoor shopping mall.  As you’d expect, both the staff and costumers were excited to have us there for “Star Wars” story-time – complete with homemade cookies – and all sorts of games and activities for the kids.

One of the great things about Crocker Park is the relaxed atmosphere and fun things people can see/do while they’re shopping. Now, I don’t know if the mall’s designers had Darth Vader and Princess Leia in mind when they put in the over-sized chessboard in the plaza (across from Barnes and Noble) but I can tell you that it draws a crowd to see what is going on.  In fact, the early fall weather made it perfect for us to stand around outside – using a “jedi mind trick” to draw shoppers and other passersby over to see what was going on at Barnes and Noble.  As things drew to a close, everyone started wanting to take more and more goofy pictures like: Darth Vader reading “Game of Thrones” or a bunch of Star Wars characters riding the escalator.

Checkout more "Mission Photos" from Star Wars Reads HERE!

Books-A-Million

But the day wasn’t over, as most of our Crocker Park crew packed up our gear to drive over to Sandusky, Ohio – over by where Sheikahchica lives – for her local SWR event at a Books-A-Million store. Despite being later in the day then most SWR events, this was another region of northeast Ohio we’ve never had the opportunity to troop – so you can imagine how thrilled people were to see us!  The staff at Books-A-Million had come up with all kinds of local games, puzzles and even trivia contests (with separate divisions for adults and kids) to entertain shoppers as they checked out the latest Star Wars books.  Would you believe this one teenager knew his Star Wars trivia so well, not only did he win the “Jedi Master” (adults) division – but he also stumped some of the Star Wars characters?