History Fort Lauderdale, proud steward of our community’s past by making our heritage accessible and engaging to residents and visitors, will present a free Family Fun Day, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturday, February 24. The day will feature kid-friendly activities presented in conjunction with museum partners Flamingo Gardens and NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale and will include a book signing and meet & greet with George LeMieux and Laura Mize, authors of Florida Heritage Kids. Their appearances are part of History Fort Lauderdale’s “Florida Scribes & Stories,” a meet the author monthly series that offers literary and history enthusiasts a chance to speak with local authors, purchase their latest releases and have them signed.
Florida Heritage Kids is an insightful novel that takes readers on historical journeys from a Spanish settlement to the modern era, through the eyes of five young people – Alonso, Holata, Thomas, Madeleine, and Ruby. Their stories tell of soldiers storming an enemy fort during a chaotic hurricane, the tale of a young Indian warrior helping rescue the Tribe, fleeing from a cloud of mosquitoes so big it blocks out the sun and the learning experience of moving to a new tropical paradise. Florida Heritage Kids highlights culture, heritage, and the natural resources found in Florida, which gives readers a better understanding of the Sunshine State’s fundamentals. The book is available in History Fort Lauderdale’s Museum Shop, on Amazon.com, and at FloridaHeritageKids.com.
Florida native George S. LeMieux has enjoyed a long career in both the private and public sectors. He served as Florida’s 34th United States senator in the 111th Congress. He also served as Florida’s deputy attorney general and as former Governor Charlie Crist’s chief of staff. LeMieux is a practicing attorney and is a chairman on the board of Gunster. He founded the LeMieux Center for Public Policy at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Laura E. Mize is an award-winning book author, an independent journalist, and a former reporter for The Palm Beach Post. Her work has been picked up by the Associated Press, published in newspapers across the country, and aired on National Public Radio. Her first book, Florida Made: The 25 Most Important Figures Who Shaped The State (written with George S. LeMieux), won the 2019 National Indie Excellence Award in the history genre. Mize has written extensively on Florida business, history, food, dining, and agriculture. Some of that work has appeared in The Local Palate, the premier magazine on Southern culinary culture. In addition, she has an extensive portfolio of health sciences writing for institutions such as Mayo Clinic and the University of Florida, and for the award-winning, internationally syndicated radio show Health in a Heartbeat.
Drinks and light bites will be provided. Guests may RSVP at https://bit.ly/HFLFloridaScribesGLLM.
For more information about History Fort Lauderdale, please call (954) 463-4431 or visit historyfortlauderdale.org. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/ftlhistory, on Instagram @ftlhistory and on Twitter @FTLHistory. Subscribe to us on YouTube at youtube.com/user/FTLhistory.