Author General Session
Saturday, October 23 | 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m.
Kekla Magoon is the author of over a dozen novels and nonfiction books for young readers, including “The Season of Styx Malone,” “The Rock and the River,” and “The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership, and Legacy.” Along with the 2021 Margaret A. Edwards Award, which honored her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens including “X: A Novel,” “How It Went Down,” and “Fire in the Streets,” Magoon has received the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and three Coretta Scott King Honors, and she has been long listed for the National Book Award.
Kekla’s forthcoming book, “Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People,” places the Panthers in the proper context of Black American history, from the first arrival of enslaved people to the Black Lives Matter movement. The book invites readers grappling with injustice in the United States to learn from the Panthers’ history and courage and inspires them to take their own place in the ongoing fight for justice.
Appearance made possible by Candlewick Press.
Concurrent Session Authors
Friday, October 22 & Saturday, October 23
Concurrent Sessions
Powerful Voices
Authors: Susan & Lexi Haas, Sundee Frazier | Moderator: Ayn Frazee
What do you do when you’re searching for ways to communicate?
What do you do when you’re searching for ways to communicate? Join mother and daughter, Susan and Lexi Haas, and Sundee Frazier as they share about their books that feature characters who find a way to use their voice and learn to empower themselves.
Stronger Together: A Celebration of Family and Traditions
Authors: Meg Raby, NoNieqa Ramos | Moderator: Pamela Moore
Our world has shifted significantly. Mother, father, brother, sister, friend…
Our world has shifted significantly. Mother, father, brother, sister, friend… Now more than ever, we have come to realize how important every member of our family is to our happiness. Join us in celebrating the importance of family and traditions!
The Real Deal: A Conversation with Non Fiction Authors
Authors: Chris Barton, Traci Sorell | Moderator: Esmeralda Majors
Children today have a myriad of nonfiction topics presented to them in many formats that they can choose from.
Children today have a myriad of nonfiction topics presented to them in many formats that they can choose from. Authors will discuss their inspiration, research practices, and writing process from start to finish. Most importantly, they will share how rewarding, exciting, and fun nonfiction can be!
Finding Your Place and Taking Charge
Authors: Tiffany Rosenhan, Donna Barba Higuera, Nicole LaRue | Moderator: Paige Battle
Who runs the world?
Who runs the world? Listen to three authors discuss how their fictional and real-life characters face challenging situations and prove more than capable of rising to the occasion.
Saving Our Earth: Books to Inspire Action
Authors: Patricia Newman, Mary Boone | Moderator: Amy Hermon
Taking care of the earth is important to everyone’s well-being.
Taking care of the earth is important to everyone’s well-being. Authors will share their message and present information that will help young readers develop into good stewards of our planet. Oh, and did we mention, saving our earth might involve crickets?
Reach More Readers Using Novels in Verse
Authors: Megan E. Freeman | Moderator: Liz Phillipi
Come explore how verse novels can engage reluctant and enthusiastic readers and writers...
Come explore how verse novels can engage reluctant and enthusiastic readers and writers, and discover ways to teach key differences between verse and prose. Leave with an annotated bibliography and teaching strategies to implement in your school library.
Everyone Loves a Hero!
Author: Brandon Mull | Moderator: Diana Colby
How does one set the stage for a hero?
Best-selling fantasy author, Brandon Mull, will discuss the development of his characters with a focus on the hero's journey. How does one set the stage for a hero? What elements are needed in order to have a great hero? What journeys can they undertake? This and more questions will be answered. Come learn with Brandon as he takes us on a hero's journey!
Confronting Your Fears
Authors: Frank Cole, Josh Allen | Moderator: Daniella Smith
Dragons and goblins and spooky things, oh my!
Dragons and goblins and spooky things, oh my! Find out how these authors help readers escape the real world through fantastical and paranormal stories.
Take a Walk on the Wild Side: Connecting Young Readers to Nature
Authors: David L. Harrison, Kate Coombs | Moderator: Amanda Jones
Encouraging children to be little naturalists and engage with nature through observations and explorations is highlighted.
Encouraging children to be little naturalists and engage with nature through observations and explorations is highlighted. Attendees will enjoy listening to animal poetry and learning about collecting nature’s treasures.
A Lens on the Natural World
Authors: Jan Drake, Julie Argyle | Moderator: Tom Bober
Join two long-time photographers as they describe animal behaviours they were able to witness through their cameras’ lenses.
Join two long-time photographers as they describe animal behaviours they were able to witness through their cameras’ lenses in both the wilderness of the greater Yellowstone area and the public lands of the Mountain West.