Girls Incorporated of Greater Santa Barbara will present the third panel discussion in its Celebrating Sisterhood Series titled “Opening the Heart, Opening the World: Literature and Its Lessons.”

The discussion will start at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Faulkner Gallery at the Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu St., as part of the 10th annual Santa Barbara Book & Author Festival. The distinguished panel consists of More Letters from the Heart authors Joan Esposito, Esther Lopez-Mulnix and Anna DiStefano with Marcia Meier as moderator.

Released in conjunction with Girls Inc.’s 50th anniversary, More Letters from the Heart is its latest publication of inspiring words and illustrations from more than 50 prominent women and aspiring girls.  The Celebrating Sisterhood series is a yearlong sequence of More Letters from the Heart author panel discussions, in which authors and/or girls engage in conversations about issues that pertain to young girls today. 

Bring the women, girls, men and boys in your lives as we explore the intricate offerings of literature.

“My grandmother’s advice to us was to study hard and learn many things,” Lopez-Mulnix said. “She believed knowledge was the best gift parents could help their children obtain.”

Proceeds from the book support Girls Inc. and the educational programs provided to more than 1,000 girls and young women in the community. Girls Inc. is part of a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold.

More Letters from the Heart can be purchased for $29.95 for hardcover and $19.95 for paperback.

Marcia Reed is managing director of the Santa Barbara Book & Author Festival.