The fourth annual Tweens Read Book Festival was held on September 27 at South Houston High School in Pasadena, Tex. The event, designed to promote a love of books by connecting middle-grade readers with authors, drew more than 1400 attendees, the majority of which were in grades 5-8. Twenty-eight authors took part in panel discussions, book signings, and informal chats with attendees. Here we present some festival highlights. All photos: Terrie Roberts and Mark Castillo.

A packed house: Readers eagerly await the opening keynote speaker, Jacqueline Woodson (Brown Girl Dreaming).

Margaret Peterson Haddix (Risked) greets a fan. The author set the day’s record for the longest line of readers waiting to have their books signed. She also delivered the closing keynote address.

Bruce Hale (Thicker Than Water: School for S.P.I.E.S. #2) exchanges a high five with an excited tween.

Not to be outdone, Jonathan Auxier (The Night Gardener) gets in some high fives as well.

Natalie Lloyd (A Snicker of Magic) at her book signing.

Jacqueline Woodson (below) and Cynthia Leitich Smith (Feral Nights).

The Girl with the Dragonfly Tattoo: attendees had the chance to visit a tattoo booth, where they could get temporary tattoos such as this one, based on Jaleigh Johnson’s The Mark of the Dragonfly.

(From l.) Authors Jonathan Auxier, M.A. Larson (Pennyroyal Academy), S.E. Grove (The Glass Sentence), Jaleigh Johnson, and Lou Anders (Frostborn) spoke about writing fantastical stories during a panel called Escape from Reality, moderated by teacher Sarah Evans.

Better than Halloween: readers peruse the books they scored during the festival.