YEAR OF LITERARY ADVENTURES

As a teacher or booster parent, Ohio Virtual Academy's Family Engagement Team is here to assist you in planning F2F or Online Literary Events throughout the 2025-26 school year.

We hope this year will be one that encourages our students and families to immerse in Ohio's rich literary history and read the many books with an Ohio connection.

We encourage you to share this resource with OHVA families as well, so they may explore Ohio's literary history and destinations together.

My dad said he lived at the "Library on Spurgeon Drive." YES! I am a bibliophile, and am always ready to help anyone discover the adventures awaiting within the cover of a book.

Reach out - and let's make this a year where students and families fall in love with reading, writing, and illustrating as we enjoy a year of Literary Adventures!

Julene Knudson

Family Engagement Team

Event Coordinator

Check out these Ohio State Parks with Storybook Trails.

15 Storybook Trails are now spread throughout Ohio state parks. Each Storybook Trail features a different book, which is revealed panel by panel on a half-mile trail in a beautiful nature setting.

Check out the official OHIO STORYBOOK TRAIL site.

Each trail is a half-mile long with child-height panels featuring a children's book and a related activity, and includes a Little Free Library for borrowing or donating books.

Storybook Trails are located at several Ohio State Parks, including Alum Creek, Barkcamp, Burr Oak, Cowan Lake, Deer Creek, Dillon, East Fork, Findley, Great Seal, Harrison Lake, Independence Dam, Indian Lake, John Bryan, Lake Loramie, Lake Milton, Maumee Bay, Mosquito Lake, Rocky Fork, Shawnee, Sycamore, and Wingfoot Lake.

These trails are part of a program by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to promote literacy and connection with nature for families. You can find a current, interactive map of all trails on the ODNR website to discover one near you.

NOTE: Scroll down on each park's website and click on STORYBOOK TRAIL for details and

call to confirm that the STORYBOOK TRAIL is open before planning your event. Also, be sure to check out the HISTORY & NATURE sections of each park you're considering and make the most of the visit!

Alum Creek State Park in Delaware County near Columbus is a beautiful park in a convenient location. Its central location makes in an easy drive for most everyone in the Buckeye state. Plenty of outdoor offerings make Alum Creek a fun experience!

Deer Creek State Park in Pickaway and Fayette Countries redefines the getaway experience. Visitors will find 3,100 acres of trails, beautiful woodlands, and adventure in this Pickaway County resort park. Comfortably appointed rooms offer views of the park's lake and scenic landscape. It's the perfect setting for a family vacation with easy access to boating, golfing, hiking, and so much more.

What began as a shallow feeder lake for the Miami & Erie Canal in the 19th century turned into a popular resort park when the canal era ended in Ohio. Today, Indian Lake in Logan County offers a variety of on-the-water recreational options including boating, fishing, jet skiing, and swimming. Off the lake, visitors can enjoy camping, picnicking, and winter activities such as ice fishing and snowmobiling. The famous frontiersmen Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton were known to have traveled here!

Located in northeast Ohio, the 838-acre Findley State Park was once a state forest and is heavily wooded with stately pines and various hardwoods. Popular with hikers and mountain bikers, the park’s trail system includes a connection to the statewide Buckeye Trail. The trails are lovely in all seasons, but particularly inviting during autumn and spring. The park’s forests, meadows, and quiet waters offer a peaceful backdrop for camping, boating, and hiking.

Lake Milton is a census-designated place in Milton Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. The population was 637 at the 2020 census. The community sits along the shore of the Lake Milton reservoir along with the village of Craig Beach. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area

Located in northeastern Ohio, Mosquito Lake of Trumbull County is one of the largest lakes in Ohio with more than 7,000 acres of surface area. The surrounding parkland covers 2,483 acres of mature woodlands and expansive marshes which provide safe haven for wildlife. Boating and fishing may be two of the top outdoor activities here, but the park also offers hiking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling in winter.

Wingfoot Lake State Park in Portage County provides visitors with a delightful day spent outdoors. Groves of tall trees, expanses of grass, and a picturesque lake create a relaxing backdrop to paddling, fishing, picnicking, or disc golf. Originally owned by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, the park joined the state system in 2009. On a clear day, visitors can spot the Goodyear blimp parked in its hangar on the lake's south shore.

Located in the midst of gently rolling hills in Fulton County of northwest Ohio, the 142-acre Harrison Lake State Park offers wooded splendor in an agricultural region. Harrison Lake is a popular spot for swimming, fishing, camping, and paddling.

Independence Dam State Park is located along the banks of the beautiful Maumee State Scenic River of Defiance County, which is ideal for boating, fishing, or paddling. Remnants of Ohio's canal era is evident along 7 miles of the historic canal, which runs between County Road 424 and the park. Independence Dam State Park offers seasonal, primitive riverside campsites and shady picnic areas.

Maumee Bay State Park's landscape in Lucas County is a unique environment created by the convergence of the land and Lake Erie. A resort lodge, cabins, and golf course are nestled among scenic meadows, wet woods, and lush marshes. More than 300 bird species have been observed here. Families will enjoy the campground, inland lake, nature center, accessible boardwalk trail, and the Storybook Trail.

Challenging trails throughout Great Seal State Park of Ross County transport visitors to scenic vistas of distant ridgetops and the Scioto Valley below. These very hills are depicted on the Great Seal of Ohio, from which the park gets its name. Whether it's hiking, mountain biking, or horseback riding, there's a trail for everyone, including a fitness trail. The 1,682-acre park also offers disc golf, a small camping area, and reservable shelterhouses.

Once the hunting grounds for the Native American Shawnee tribes, the rugged landscape of the 1,095-acre Shawnee State Park of Scioto County offers outdoor adventurers an opportunity to explore the back country of southern Ohio’s Appalachian foothills near the banks of the Ohio River.

Barkcamp State Park encompasses over one thousand acres of land in southeast Ohio. Located near Belmont, Barkcamp has rolling hills that make up much of this area of the Buckeye State. Day visitors and overnight guests will all find Barkcamp to be a wonderful place to spend time enjoying the great outdoors.

As one of Ohio's resort parks, Burr Oak State Park in Morgan County blends modern convenience with Ohio's wilderness spirit. Miles of forested ridges and hollows can be found here. The park offers a rustic full-service lodge with family suites and a cozy campground with easy access to the lake. A substantial trail system ranges from moderate to difficult with portions intersecting the statewide Buckeye Trail.

Dillon State Park in Muskingum County is situated in an area of the state that possesses diverse and unique natural features. One of which is the presence of the Black Hand Sandstone. Sand, eroded hundreds of millions of years ago from mountains farther east, accumulated in a vast delta in the sea covering the region. This hard bedrock erodes to form sheer cliffs and supports a hardwood forest.

Located in Ohio's Bluegrass region of Adams County — one of the state's most scenic and interesting areas — Adams Lake State Park has much to offer the nature enthusiast. Remnant prairies and a quiet lake can be enjoyed in this small but unique 50-acre park.

Cowan Lake State Park in Clinton County offers scenic trails and a peaceful lake for swimming, fishing, sailing, and kayaking. At this Storybook Trail, families can read “Shh! Bears Sleeping” by David Martin. This story takes children on an adventure through the seasons in the eyes of a mama bear and her cubs.

Located in Clermont County of southwest Ohio, the 7,480-acre (4,870-acre of land and 2,160-acre of water) East Fork State Park is one of the largest state parks in Ohio. The park offers diverse recreational and natural history opportunities only 25 miles from Cincinnati. Rolling hills, winding rivers, and a large lake provide a beautiful backdrop for a wonderful getaway.

Beautiful year-round, the park's breathtaking scenery attracts visitors every season. John Bryan State Park in Greene County is distinguished by its remarkable limestone gorge, which the Little Miami State and National Scenic River cut many years ago. The gorge, a National Natural Landmark, offers hikers splendid views from the trail. A launch area outside the park provides paddlers with access to the river.

Along with sixteen different hiking trails, including the popular Storybook Trail, the park has a public rock climbing and rappelling area and miles of mountain bike trails. Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve, adjacent to the park, offers additional hiking opportunities. (Note: Pets are permitted in the park, but not in the preserve.)

Rocky Fork State Park in Highland County offers hiking trails, caves, natural wetlands, and a 2,080-acre lake for boating and fishing. The Storybook Trail here features “Birds of a Feather” by Sita Singh. On the child-sized panels lining this new trail, families can read about the story of a peacock who learns to use his strengths to help his friends weather a storm.

An oasis of wooded splendor in the midst of expansive farmland. Sycamore State Park in Montgomery County is the perfect retreat for groups of all sizes. Several group camp areas provide unique overnight options. Daytime activities include paddling, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. Picnic shelters and an archery range are also available.

No state park near you?

Besides Ohio State Parks, other parks, nature centers, libraries, and cities have STORY TRAILS, STORY WALKS, as well as STORYBOOK TRAILS.

Check out this interactive map to locate a STORY TRAIL near you.

Have you ever heard of Nancy Drew, Lois Lenski, Helen Steiner Rice, Superman, James Thurber, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Paul Laurence Dunbar, McGuffey Readers, Virginia Hamilton, Robert McCloskey, Homer Price, or Zane Grey?

Did you know these and so many more have an Ohio connection?

Did you know that Ohio has museums dedicated to comics, illustrators of children's books, and various other literary museums?

Ohio’s literary figures range from the world’s first internationally acclaimed Black poet to an acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist to the woman who helped reshape Americans’ ideas about slavery. Sites associated with these writers as well as dozens of others across the Buckeye State are featured on the Ohio Literary Trail, a road trip that includes historic homes, exhibits and significant places. “Literary tourism is becoming a much popular thing in different regions of the state,” says David Weaver, executive director of the Ohioana Library Association, which launched the trail in 2020. There are currently 61 stops, and many are marked by an Ohio Historical Marker sign. Others offer a deeper experience for bookworms and history buffs alike, including these nine destinations.

Take time to look over Ohio's Literary Trail and see where you might take Ohio Virtual Academy students and their families for OHVA's 2025-26 F2F Literary Adventures!

Organized by the state’s five geographic regions for a convenient self-guided driving tour across more than 70 sites, The Ohio Literary Trail encourages exploration by tourists planning a literary-themed outing, as well as Ohioans who want to discover literary treasures they never knew existed in their own backyard.

Markers as well as Destinations are listed. Some markers are at destinations, but some are just markers honor those who contributed to Ohio's rich literary history. Students living near markers could go to the marker, take photos, and report back to the group about the various markers in your area.

NOTE: The regions below match with the Ohio Literary Trail Map shown below. They counties in each region do NOT match up precisely with the OHVA Regional Map counties (example: no SC region)

25. Thurber House Museum and Thurber Center with James Thurber marker (Columbus, Franklin County)

26. The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute(Columbus, Franklin County)

27. Ohioana Library Association (Columbus, Franklin County) 28. Wagnalls Memorial Library (Lithopolis, Fairfield County)

Literary Markers

29. Columbus Metropolitan Main Library (Columbus, Franklin County) 30. Dawn Powell (Mt. Gilead/Morrow County) 31. John Crowe Ransom and The Kenyon Review (Gambier, Knox County) 32. Wilbur H. Siebert Collection (Columbus, Franklin County)

Book Festivals

Ohioana Book Festival (Columbus, Franklin County

9. Haines House (Alliance, Stark County) 10. Malabar Farm with Louis Bromfield marker (Lucas, Richland County)

11. Oak Hill Cottage (Mansfield, Richland County)

12. Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library and Hart Crane Memorial Park (Cleveland, Cuyahoga County)

13. Wick Poetry Center and Reinberger Children’s Library Center (Kent, Portage County)

Literary Markers

14. Daniel Carter Beard (Painesville, Lake County)

16. Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library – Harvey Pekar (Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga County)

17. Hart Crane (Garrettsville/Portage County)

18. East Cleveland Public Library (East Cleveland, Cuyahoga County)

19. James Mercer Langston Hughes (Cleveland, Cuyahoga County)

20. The Oxcart Library (North Olmsted, Cuyahoga County)

21. Earl Derr Biggers and Leigh Brackett (Warren, Trumbull County)

22. Helen Steiner Rice and Toni Morrison Reading Room and historical marker (Lorain, Lorain County)

23. The Second High School – Burton Public Library (Burton, Geauga County)

24. Home of Superman (Cleveland, Cuyahoga County)

Book Festivals

Buckeye Book Fair (Wooster, Wayne County)

Book Festival

1. Clyde Historical Museum with Sherwood Anderson marker (Clyde, Sandusky County)

2. Toledo-Lucas County Public Library- Nancy Drew Exhibit with Toledo’s First High School and Toledo Lucas County Public Library marker (Toledo, Lucas County)

3. The Mazza Museum (Findlay, Hancock County)

Literary Markers

4 The Brumback Library (Van Wert, Van Wert County)

6. Lois Lenski (Anna, Shelby County)

7. Paulding County Carnegie Library (Paulding, Paulding County)

8. Sandusky Library (Sandusky, Erie County)

Book Festival

Claire’s Day (Maumee, Lucas County)

51. Dard Hunter marker (Chillicothe, Ross County)

52. National Road and Zane Grey Museum with Zane Grey marker (Norwich, Muskingum County)

53. Grandma Gatewood Trail(South Bloomingville, Hocking County)

Literary Markers

54. James Edwin Campbell and Ambrose Meigs (Pomeroy, Meigs County)

55. Frances Dana Gage (McConnelsville, Morgan County)

56. William Dean Howells (Martins Ferry, Belmont County)

57. Putnam Family Library – Belpre Farmers Library (Belpre, Washington County)

58. Burton Egbert Stevenson (Chillicothe, Ross County)

59. Tessa Sweazy Webb (Logan, Hocking County)

60. Western Library Association – The Coonskin Library (Amesville, Athens County)

61. James Arlington Wright (Martins Ferry, Belmont County)

62. Carnegie Library of Steubenville marker (Steubenville, Jefferson County)

Book Festival

Spring Literary Festival (Athens, Athens County)

33. Harriet Beecher Stowe House with Harriet Beecher Stowe marker (Cincinnati, Hamilton County)

34. Paul Laurence Dunbar House and State Memorial with Paul Laurence Dunbar marker and Erma Bombeck (Dayton, Montgomery County)

35. McGuffey Museum with William Holmes McGuffey House (Oxford, Butler County)

36. The Mercantile Library (Cincinnati, Hamilton County

37. The Rankin House (Ripley, Brown County)

Literary Markers

38. Natalie Clifford Barney (Dayton, Montgomery County)

39. Hallie Quinn Brown (Wilberforce, Greene County)

40. Milton Caniff (Hillsboro, Highland County)

41. Virginia Hamilton (Yellow Springs, Greene County)

42. William Dean Howells (Hamilton, Butler County)

43. Fannie Hurst (Hamilton, Butler County)

44. McCloskey Museum (Hamilton, Butler County)

45. Percy MacKaye-“The Poet’s Shack” (Oxford, Butler County)

46. The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives (Cincinnati, Hamilton County)

47. Albert Nelson Marquis/Who’s Who (Decatur, Brown County)

48. Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Cincinnati, Hamilton County)

49. Helen Hooven Santmyer (Xenia, Greene County)

50. Wilmington Library (Wilmington, Clinton County)

63. Lowell Thomas/Garst Museum (Greenville, Darke County)

64. Ulysses S. Grant/Grant Birthplace and Grant’s Boyhood Home (Point Pleasant, Clermont County and Georgetown, Brown County)

Book Festival

Books by the Banks (Cincinnati, Hamilton County)

The Ohio Goes to the Movies Literary Trail, presented by Ohioana Library, shines a spotlight on Ohio authors in the film world.

Organized by the state’s five geographic regions for a convenient self-guided driving tour across more than 70 sites, the Ohio Goes to the Movies Literary Trail encourages exploration by tourists planning a film-themed outing, as well as Ohioans who want to discover cinematic treasures they never knew existed in their own backyard.

Download a PDF of the Ohio Goes to the Movies Map.

Left to Right: Family Engagement Team

Denise Layman dlayman@k12.com

Teri Lynn Stackhouse tstackhouse@k12.com

Susie Ebie (Administrator Lead of the Family Engagement Team) sebie@k12.com

Julene Knudson jknudson@k12.com