Two Caldecott winners, New York Times best-sellers, Ezra Jack Keats Award honorees and one of the most popular authors to ever appear in Farmville will entertain and inspire thousands of young people at the 5th annual Virginia Children’s Book Festival this October.
As festivalgoers have come to expect, the 2018 VCBF lineup is a who’s who of the most celebrated and beloved authors and illustrators working in children’s literature today. They will appear at Longwood University, where the festival is held annually, from Oct. 17-19.
One of the most popular authors to ever appear at the VCBF, Arthur creator Marc Brown will speak to groups of children on Wednesday, Oct. 17, and Thursday, Oct. 18.
“Three years ago, Marc Brown delighted thousands of children in Jarman Auditorium, and the line to have him sign new Arthur books was out the door,” said festival director Juanita Giles. “We’re so pleased to welcome him back to Virginia for 2018. His sessions will certainly be a treat for the children who come back year after year.”
The Virginia Children’s Book Festival is the commonwealth’s premier literary event for children and one of the largest children’s festivals in the nation. As in the past, all author and illustrator sessions are free to all attendees.
This year’s author and illustrator lineup is:
Derrick Barnes: Author of the acclaimed picture book CROWN: An Ode To The Fresh Cut, which won the 2018 Ezra Jack Keats Award, Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Honor.
Gordon C. James: Illustrator of CROWN and the Scraps of Time series. His work on CROWN also earned a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor.
Todd Parr: A New York Times best-selling author whose colorful presentations and memorable books have entertained VCBF festivalgoers every year.
Anne Marie Pace: Author of the best-selling series Vampirina Ballerina, which is now a popular television show on Disney Junior. Pace is making her second appearance at the VCBF.
LeUyen Pham: Illustrator of the best-selling series Vampirina Ballerina and numerous other best-selling picture books. She is making her second appearance at the VCBF, and her work is the subject of a gallery exhibition at the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts. She is scheduled to attend the public opening of the exhibition on Oct. 19 from 5:30-8 p.m.
Brian Floca: Author and illustrator of numerous best-selling books, Floca’s 2014 book Locomotive won the 2014 Caldecott Medal.
Elizabeth Singer Hunt: Author of the award-winning Secret Agent Jack Stalwart chapter book series, which has been named a “must-read” series for boys.
John Bemelmans Marciano: Author of The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield and The Witches of Benevento series, he has also continued his grandfather’s legacy of the popular Madeline series. Marciano is making his fifth appearance at the VCBF.
Tim Tingle: An Oklahoma Choctaw storyteller and author, Tingle’s 2014 novel How I Became A Ghost won the American Indian Youth Literature Award. This is Tingle’s second appearance at the VCBF—he was a fan favorite when he first visited in 2016.
Ibi Zoboi: A Brooklyn-based YA author, Zoboi’s first novel, American Street, was critically acclaimed. She has another YA title set to publish this year and will make her middle-grade debut after that.
Nic Stone: Stone’s first novel, Dear Martin, was celebrated as a stunning and captivating exploration of race relations from the perspective of a high-school student. Her next book, Odd One Out, is out in early October.
Sophie Blackall: Blackall won the 2016 Caldecott Medal for Finding Winnie and is the illustrative force behind the always popular Ivy and Bean series. This is her third trip to the VCBF.
Marc Brown: The author and illustrator of Arthur, one of the world’s most beloved children’s characters, Brown is making his second appearance at the VCBF.
Timothy Basil Ering: Best-known as the illustrator of the Newbery-winning book The Tale of Despereaux, Ering has for five years delighted VCBF attendees with his own books, including The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone.
Ronald L. Smith: An award-winning writer, Smith’s newest book for young readers is Black Panther: The Young Prince, published by Marvel.
Jay Cooper: Author/illustrator of The Spy Next Door Series and upcoming Pepper Party series. Cooper is making his second appearance at the VCBF.
Russell Ginns: Author of Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans, Ginns has worked on projects for Sesame Workshop, Nintendo and the Girl Scouts of America.
Martha Brockenbrough: A prolific children’s author, Brockenbrough has published eight books and is the founder of National Grammar Day.
Pablo Cartaya: Award-winning author and educator of The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora and the upcoming Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish, aimed at middle-grade readers.
Lamar Giles: A Virginia-based YA author, Giles was nominated for the 2015 Edgar Award for Fake ID. He is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books and is making his fourth appearance at the VCBF.
Lulu Delacre: A three-time Pura Belpre Award winner, Delacre has written and illustrated more than 35 books and is now working with Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor on her autobiography. This is her second appearance at the VCBF.
You can find more information about the authors and this year’s schedule at www.vachildrensbookfestival.com.
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