Tag: author event

The 2023 Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival

The 10th Anniversary of The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival 

The 10th Anniversary of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival (CCBF) will take place on Saturday, September 30, from 10 am to 4 pm at the Chappaqua Train Station in Chappaqua, New York. This year’s Festival will be the largest one yet, with 180 authors in attendance and celebrity authors Mary Pope Osborne and Alan Gratz leading the charge.  We look forward to introducing the community to new writers joining us this year, such as Alex Gino, and reconnecting with returning authors, such as Bryan Collier. Admission and parking are free, and the event will be held rain or shine (http://www.ccbfestival.org/).

In its tenth year, the annual festival, promoting community, inclusivity, and literacy, will have a dedicated banned book section, where we will display banned books by 30 of our attending authors. The table will also hold copies of a list of banned books available at the festival and where the authors can be found if families would like to meet them and support them. There will also be a sign explaining how attendees can purchase banned books for groups that provide banned books to readers. Some of the authors and their books to be showcased in our banned book area include Jerry Kraft’s New Kid, Kyle Lukoff’s Call Me Max, Maulik Pancholy’s The Best At It, plus 27 others that we can’t wait for visitors to have a chance to see.

We also will have authors covering different reading levels and multiple genres, including a larger selection of graphic novels than in years past, LGTBQ themes, and books that celebrate diversity.  We will have author readings and special presentations, illustrator Demos, Book Signings, a bubble bus, and books for sale. This year, food will be available from gourmet food trucks and our local Chappaqua Farmers Market. CCBF will support literacy programs in area schools.

Some of our favorite authors returning this year include fan favorite Pinkalicious author Victoria Kann and Sonja Cherry-Paul, author of Stamped (For Kids), an adaptation of Ibram X. Kendi’s New York Times bestseller that introduces kids to the history of racism and antiracism in America.

We have several authors joining us this year who are new to CCBF, and we are so excited! Mary Pope Osborne, the author of The Magic Tree House series, is our headlining author. Also new to the festival is Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of 19 children’s novels, and Maulik Pancholy, a well-known actor from NBC’s 30 Rock and award-winning children’s book author. Mr. Pancholy recently released his newest novel, Nikhil Out Loud, and his previous book, middle-grade novel The Best At It, is a Stonewall Honor Award winner.

Our tenth-anniversary celebration festival poster was created by popular and prolific author/illustrator Mark Teague. Mark is an author and illustrator of over 40 books, including the First Graders from Mars series and How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

Joining as a sponsor to celebrate our 10th anniversary is KidLit TV, an educator-led organization that reinforces an appreciation of reading for children through its web-based television. Programming and videos that are seen in over 700,000 schools nationwide.

The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival is a grassroots, all-volunteer effort, with community members working together so children and teens can be inspired by their favorite authors. The festival gives kids and families a chance to meet and interact with the creators of their favorite characters and to appreciate that there is a real person behind the art and the words on the page.

For more information, visit http://www.ccbfestival.org/ or follow the CCBF at https://www.facebook.com/chappaquabookfestival/

The Banned Wagon Tour: Atlanta/Decatur

Book bans in America are more widespread than ever. They must be stopped.

The Banned Wagon: A Vehicle for Change is road-tripping through the South on a mission to get books to the people who need and want them most. Our first stop: Georgia!

Stop by Charis Books & More to get a free banned book (options available for kids, teens, and adults) and merch from Out of Print, learn more about the issue, and join the movement!

And as a bonus, our Atlanta event will feature a Q&A and book signing with Atlantan Nic Stone, author of Dear Martin.

We’ll see you there!

The BookFest Fall 2023

The BookFest Fall 2023 draws readers, writers, and the literary community together October 2122, 2023, for its eighth biannual virtual event. The BookFest is a driving force in delivering vital conversations and experiences for the writing and reading communities. Day One features programming for readers, while Day Two is designed for writers. Panel Discussions, Conversations, Special Segments, and Live Author Chats stream online during the always free-to-attend two-day event. To become a BookFester and receive email alerts delivered to one’s inbox, sign-up on The BookFest website.

Free to Belong: An Author Afternoon

Spend the afternoon with three different authors: Leah Johnson (1:00), K. Ancrum (2:00), and Julian Winters (3:00). Learn from the authors about their process, their books, and their thoughts on banning books. This program will kick off a series of programs centering around intellectual freedom, because Dayton Metro Library, now a Book Sanctuary, is proud to announce that all books are Free to Belong at our Library!

Leah Johnson is an eternal midwesterner and author of award-winning books for children and young adults. Her bestselling debut YA novel, You Should See Me in a Crown, was a Stonewall Honor Book, and the inaugural Reese’s Book Club YA pick. In 2021, TIME named You Should See Me in a Crown one of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Leah’s essays and cultural criticism can be found in Teen Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan among others. Her debut middle grade, Ellie Engle Saves Herself is forthcoming from Disney-Hyperion in May 2023.

K. Ancrum is the author of the award winning thrillers, notably THE WICKER KING and most recently LETHAL LIT:MURDER OF CROWS. K. is a Chicago native passionate about diversity and representation in young adult fiction. She currently writes most of her work in the lush gardens of the Chicago Art Institute.

Julian Winters is the author of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Gold Award-winning Running With Lions; the Junior Library Guild Selections How to Be Remy Cameron and The Summer of Everything; and the multi-star reviewed Right Where I Left You and As You Walk On By. A self-proclaimed comic book geek, Julian currently lives outside of Atlanta. He can usually be found swooning over rom-coms or watching the only two sports he can follow—volleyball and soccer.