Syndicated movie critic Roger Ebert reached for the black pen and small notepad that he was using as his means of communication.

"Good movies make us better people. Bad movies do not," he wrote.

That is the one thing that Ebert wants readers to take away from his new book, The Great Movies III. The 68-year-old journalist remains an admired figure among his fans who fondly remember him teaming up with Gene Siskel for 23 years to provide film critiques via television programs.

Ebert, who lost his lower jaw and his ability to speak to thyroid cancer in 2006, met about 40 fans at a book signing for his two new books recently at the Barnes & Noble in Skokie's Old Orchard Mall.

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"He's a hero of mine," said Jennifer Storm, a Kenilworth artist who has followed Ebert for as long as she can remember. She enjoys how he puts his personal twist on film reviews, so that readers can learn both about the movie and about him.

Chaya Rubenstein stood in line with photos of her daughter meeting Ebert, who was born in Urbana, Ill.

"I've always loved Roger Ebert," Rubenstein said. "He's a very nice person. He spends time with people."

Amanda Spejcher, a 22-year-old aspiring screenwriter from Des Plaines, said that Ebert inspired her to write. She clutched two copies of The Great Movies III. One was for her and the other was a Christmas gift for her boyfriend.

Elizabeth Telegina, a 7th-grade student at Franklin Fine Arts Center in Chicago, held three copies of the book.

"One is for me, one is for someone I know and the third one is just in case," Telegina said.

Last week's signing was one of a few in the Chicago area. Ebert signed dozens of copies of The Great Movies III, a collection of essays on famous films including Babel, Cool Hand Luke and The Godfather: Part II. Ebert also signed the occasional copy of his other book, The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker.

Ebert's upcoming 800-page book, Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2011, is due out two weeks before Christmas. The journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times placed his thumb and index finger about 2 inches apart on the table, indicating that one of the most surprising things about the book is how thick it will be.

 "Must be more than a million words," Ebert wrote on the notepad.

Seth Arkin of Skokie said he came to meet Ebert to show appreciation of his courage and bravery for continuing to be such a prolific writer even after his cancer and surgeries.

"That I'm willing to come out and pay full price for something I could mostly read for free online is quite a testament to how much I regard Roger," said Arkin, who is unemployed.

"I didn't realize how much I appreciated him until he lost his voice," said Noemi Carrasco, a 42-year-old who has been a fan since she was 15. "Some people could have given up, but he didn't."

Marc Sugarman was in the store to pick up the new Barbra Streisand book, My Passion for Design, when he realized the man he had idolized since 1967 was appearing.

 "When he joined the Sun-Times, I remember reading his review of Funny Girl," Sugarman said. "He found flaws, but he still said 'four stars for Barbra.'"