Beyond the bestsellers and brand names, PW has scanned the author list for some children's favorites, sleeper choices, and critic's picks well worth seeking out. Please refer to the official conference program for exact details and times, as they may change. Also, note that some authors are making multiple appearances, some with different publishers.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25
9–10 a.m.: Katherine Paterson. In Brother Sun, Sister Moon (Chronicle Books, booth 1016), Paterson, the current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, reimagines a hymn of praise originally written by St. Francis of Assisi, which dates to the 1220s. PW says, "Paterson does a fine job of making the canticle more catholic than Catholic, while maintaining a traditional tone and hewing to the structure of the original, which appears at book's end."

9:30–10:30 a.m.: Vanita Oelschlager. Bonyo Bonyo: The Story of a Brave Boy from Kenya (VanitaBooks, booth 1342) is a true story based on the life of Dr. Bonyo Bonyo that looks at how a Kenyan boy's courage and determination, along with critical support from family and strangers, helped him to live his dream of becoming a physician. VanitaBooks donates all net profits to the Oak Clinic for Multiple Sclerosis and other charities where "people help people help themselves."

10–11 a.m.: Maya Soetoro-Ng. President Obama's half-sister says Ladder to the Moon (Candlewick Press, booth 1023), her first picture book, was inspired by her young daughter Suhaila's questions about her grandmother, Ann Dunham. PW's starred review declares, "Nontraditional spiritual literature for children often falters in the execution; this work fulfills its promise."

10–11 a.m.: Grace Lin. In reviewing Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! (Little, Brown BFYR, booth 1129), PW opines, "Twins will find endearing advocates in Ling and Ting, Chinese-American twins who good-naturedly defy people's assumptions that they are interchangeable... challenging the reader to look beyond exteriors."

11 a.m.–noon: Alice LaPlante. PW's starred review calls Turn of the Mind (Grove/Atlantic, booth 1248) "an impressive first novel.... Mystery fans should be prepared for a subtle literary novel in which the unfolding of Jennifer's condition and of her past matters far more than the whodunit."

Noon–1 p.m.: Nikki Grimes. Grimes's Planet Middle School (Bloomsbury, booth 1123) is a book of short poems that capture the crazy feelings of adolescence and first crushes. A Girl Named Mister (Zondervan, booth 1322) is one of many of Grimes's 50-plus books cited as a Notable Book by the ALA.

Noon–1 p.m.: Andrea Davis Pinkney. In Bird in a Box (Little, Brown BFYR, booth 1129), youngsters Otis, Willie, and Hibernia are like their hero, boxer Joe Louis, as he fights to become the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion. Pinkney enhances the story by incorporating actual radio commentary from Louis's fights.

Noon–1 p.m.: Donna Jo Napoli. Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes & Monsters (National Geographic Society, booth 1234) includes a family tree, a "cast of characters" profile page, a mapping feature, and resource notes to bring historical details to life for young readers. Napoli will also be supporting The Crossing (Simon & Schuster, booth TBA), a story told from the point of view of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the baby on Sacagawea's back. PW finds it "[a] refreshing new angle on a familiar story of American history." A number of Napoli's novels have been selected as ALA Best Books.

Noon–1 p.m.: Orson Scott Card. PW finds the bestseller The Lost Gate (Tor/Forge, booth 1122) "well crafted, highly detailed, and pleasantly accessible," and Pathfinder (Simon & Schuster, booth TBA) a "fascinatingly complex series opener."

2–3 p.m.: Chris Raschka. In Fortune Cookies (S&S), illustrated by Raschka's trademark loose watercolors, a child describes how a week's events are linked to seven fortune cookie fortunes, which readers can pull from the cookies via a tab. This is the first book by author A. Bitterman, who is actually Pete Cowdin, owner of the Kansas City, Mo., independent children's bookstore Reading Reptile. Raschka will also appear on Sunday, 1–2 p.m., in support of Seriously, Norman! (Scholastic, booth 1439), his fiction debut.

2–3 p.m.: Keith Graves. The Orphan of Awkward Falls (Chronicle Books, booth 1016) is Graves's first novel, pubbing in September, inspired by his own 13-year-old twins, classic tales of Frankenstein and mad scientists, and contemporary technology—with a clever and unique heroine.

3–4 p.m.: Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon. About Zora and Me (Candlewick, booth 1023), PW notes that debut authors Bond and Simon "do their subject proud, spinning a tale about the childhood of writer Zora Neale Hurston... the authors adeptly evoke a racially fraught era and formative events, whether they're true or true enough, in Hurston's youth."

3–4 p.m.: Andrea Davis Pinkney. Dear America: With the Might of Angels (Scholastic, booth 1439) is part of the Dear America diary series; this September title focuses on the civil rights movement through a child's eyes. PW says, "More than a supplement to classroom textbooks, this series is an imaginative, solid entree into American history."

SUNDAY, JUNE 26
9–10 a.m.: Jon Scieszka. Guys Read: Thriller (HarperCollins Children's Books), pubbing in September, is part of Scieszka's Guys Read Library of Great Reading series. "The entire collection will be the answer to the question, ‘What will help get my guy reading?' " Scieszka promises on his Web site. It includes original stories by Anthony Horowitz, Walter Dean Myers, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Matt de la Peña, Jarrett Krosoczka, Bruce Hale, James Patterson, Gennifer Choldenko, Patrick Carman, and M.T. Anderson.

9–10 a.m.: Bryan Collier is the illustrator behind Dave the Potter (Little, Brown BFYR, booth 1129), which captures the story of Dave, a South Carolina slave in the 1800s who made amazing pottery into which he carved simple but profound poetry. In New York City, Collier directs mural programs for children who want to paint.

9–10 a.m.: Mordicai Gerstein. Dear Hot Dog (Abrams BFYR/Amulet Books, booth 1427), pubbing in August, follows three friends from the time they wake up and brush their teeth to when they snuggle up for bed with their favorite stuffed animal. Also on Sunday, 2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m., Gerstein will support The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, booth TBA), which chronicles Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between Manhattan's World Trade Center towers. PW declares, "Gerstein's dramatic paintings include some perspectives bound to take any reader's breath away.

9:30–10:30 a.m.: Mo Willems. Should I Share My Ice Cream? (Disney/Hyperion, booth 1158) is the latest title in the Elephant and Piggie series. Also, on Sunday, 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m., Willems will support Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator (HarperCollins Children's Books, booth TBA). PW's starred review calls it an "expertly paced page-turner about a girl and her toy alligator, laced with the kid-centric humor on which Willems has built his career."

9:30–10:30 a.m.: Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers. Of We Are America: A Tribute from the Heart (HarperCollins Children's Books, booth TBA) PW's starred review promises "few will be unmoved by this stirring and provocative collaboration."

10–11 a.m.: Jan Annino. She Sang Promise: The Story of Betty Mae Jumper, Seminole Tribal Leader (National Geographic Society, booth 1234) is the true story of a storyteller, journalist, and community activist, one of modern America's first female elected Seminole tribal leaders.

10:30–11 a.m.: Duncan Tonatiuh. The Mexican-born artist behind Diego Rivera: His World and Ours (Abrams BFYR/Amulet Books, booth 1427) introduces the renowned 20th-century Mexican artist Diego Rivera to young readers and urges them to imagine what Rivera would paint if he were alive today.

10:30–11:30 a.m.: Rita Williams-Garcia. Of One Crazy Summer (HarperCollins Children's Books, booth TBA) PW notes, "Delphine's growing awareness of injustice on a personal and universal level is smoothly woven into the story in poetic language that will stimulate and move readers."

11 a.m.–noon: Bob Barner. In Animal Baths (Chronicle Books, booth 1016), author/illustrator Barner helps young readers recognize their own bath time habits through the exploration of bath time in the animal kingdom.

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Kevin Henkes. In a starred review, PW calls Junonia (HarperCollins Children's Books, booth TBA) an "introspective story about a child's search for a rare shell," in which Henkes "displays his ability to find profound meaning in ordinary events."

1:30–2 p.m.: Robert Olen Butler. Need we say more? The Pulitzer Prize winner's A Small Hotel (Grove/Atlantic, booth 1248), pubbing in August, is the story of a failed marriage told through flashbacks on the day the couple is to be divorced.

3–3:30 p.m.: Javaka Steptoe. The illustrator of What's Special About Me, Mama? (Disney/Hyperion, booth 1158). PW comments, "Steptoe's many pictures of the boy nestled in his parents' arms reinforce the image of a family whose affection is generously given." Steptoe will also be around on Monday morning, beginning at 9 a.m., in support of Amiri and Odette (Scholastic, booth 1439) and In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers (Lee & Low, booth TBA), Steptoe's 2001 picture book debut, which PW's starred review deems a "stunning homage to fathers."

4–5 p.m.: Lauren Myracle. In Shine (Abrams BFYR/Amulet Books, booth 1427), Myracle "paints the desperate poverty and bitter divisions within Cat's mountain community well, with memorable details," notes PW. "These details and the thick mystery that Cat unfurls will keep readers engaged—and suspecting several characters, as Cat does."

MONDAY, JUNE 27
10:30–11:30 a.m.: Walter Dean Myers. PW's starred review finds Jazz (HarperCollins Children's Books, booth TBA) "a scintillating paean to jazz. A cogent introduction, selective glossary and chronology round out this mesmerizing verbal and visual riff on a uniquely American art form."

1–2 p.m.: Eric Velasquez. Grandma's Gift (Walker, booth 1123), the story of a Christmas holiday that young Eric spends with his grandmother, is a prequel to his biographical picture book, Grandma's Records.

Library Love

In honor of the ALA, we're highlighting some of the authors who will be appearing at this year's conference with library-themed books. Whether funny, serious, for adult professionals, or for young readers, these books all go a long way toward promoting the wonders of the library. Please refer to the official ALA event schedule for precise details on dates, times, and locations.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25
10–11 a.m.: Nancy Pearl. Author of Book Lust to Go: Recommended Reading for Travelers, Vagabonds, and Dreamers (Sasquatch Books, booth 1248). PW calls it "a winner and the perfect bedside companion." Pearl will also be in the booth at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

10 a.m.–noon: Storyteller and recording artist Dianne de Las Casas (author) and Marita Gentry (illustrator) of There's a Dragon in the Library (Pelican, booth 1520). As they follow a dragon's antics, young readers of this book learn about book care. The authors will also be in the booth at the same time on Sunday and Monday.

noon–1 p.m.: Ann Prentice. Author of Public Libraries in the 21st Century (ABC-CLIO, booth 2740), the professor emerita and former dean of the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland in College Park looks at the impact of technology on how the library is managed as well as how it serves the community.

1–2 p.m.: Kathy Dempsey. The longtime editor of the Marketing Library Services newsletter "The Accidental Library Marketer" (Information Today, booth 960) offers a reader-friendly combination of real-life examples, expert advice, and checklists to aid in successful library marketing and promotion.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26
1–2 p.m.: Editor Rebecca Lubas. In Practical Strategies for Cataloguing Departments (ABC-CLIO, booth 2740), Lubas provides an excellent road map for navigating the metadata needs of the 21st-century library. Lubas is director of cataloguing and discovery services at the University of New Mexico Libraries in Albuquerque.

2–2:30 p.m.: Bob Shea. In his forthcoming September publication, Dinosaur vs. the Library (Disney/Hyperion, booth 1158), a playful dinosaur, excited to be going to one of his favorite places—the library—encounters a series of animals on the way, sharing his roars with each.

2–3 p.m.: Susan Fichtelberg. The coauthor of Primary Genreflecting: A Guide to Picture Books and Easy Readers (ABC-CLIO, booth 2740), part of the Genreflecting Advisory series, lists, describes, and organizes, according to reading interests, contemporary picture books and easy readers for children ages three to eight. Fichtelberg is a youth services librarian for the Woodbridge, N.J., Public Library and has been appointed chair of the 2012 Margaret A. Edwards committee.

2–3 p.m.: Diana Herald: The library media coordinator of the Mesa County Valley School, and author of Teen Genreflecting 3: A Guide to Reading Interests (also part of the Genreflecting Advisory series). The third edition of this library bestseller now covers more than 1,300 popular titles, organized by subgenre and theme to help librarians identify read-alikes and pinpoint books for teen readers ranging from reluctant to rabid.

2:30–4 p.m.: Margriet Ruurs. Educator and author of My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World (Boyds Mills Press, booth 1515). Intrigued by an article about a camel in Kenya that brought books to children in remote desert villages, Ruurs decided to find out how children around the world might get their books if there is no library. Librarians and volunteers from many countries sent her stories and photos of their mobile libraries. Ruurs also runs a booklover's bed and breakfast on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, and is editor of KidsWWwrite, a web magazine that publishes writing by children.

MONDAY, JUNE 27
10:30–11:30 a.m.: Kristin Fontichiaro. The author of 21st-Century Learning in School Libraries, a collection of articles from School Library Monthly highlighting practical ways library media specialists can help their schools implement the AASL's Standards for 21st-Century Learners, is a school librarian with the Birmingham, Mich., public schools, and a member of the inaugural class of the ALA's Emerging Leaders program.

Editor Love

On Sunday, June 26, 10:30 a.m.–noon, five members of book publishing's top editorial brass will offer behind-the-scenes stories of two of their fall 2011 titles in the second annual Fall Books Preview: "From the Inside(rs) Out: Book Editors and the New Titles They Love" panel—also known as the AAP Editors' Buzz Program. The panel is a collaboration between the ALA, AAP's Trade Libraries Committee, and Nancy Pearl, NPR commentator, favorite library action figure, and new PW columnist. Here are the participating publishers.

Basic Books publisher John Sherer will present The Folly of Fools: The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life (Oct.) by biological theorist Robert Trivers, which asks the question "why do we deceive?" and Heaven Cracks, Earth Shakes: The Tangshan Earthquake and the Death of Mao's China (Jan.) by historian James Palmer, which revisits the historic earthquake that leveled the industrial city of Tangshan in the summer of 1976, killing more than half a million people.

Doubleday senior v-p, publisher, and editor-in-chief Bill Thomas will talk about The Night Circus (Sept.) by writer and multimedia artist Erin Morgenstern, who describes all her work as being "fairy tales in one way or another" and The Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Medicine, Madness and the Murder of a President (Sept.) by New York Times bestselling author Candice Millard. Four months after his inauguration in 1881, a deranged office seeker tracked down President James A. Garfield and shot him in the back.

Ecco v-p Lee Boudreaux will reveal Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures (Oct.) by Caroline Preston and The Arrogant Years: One Girl's Search for Her Lost Youth, from Cairo to Brooklyn (Sept.) by investigative reporter Lucette Lagnado.

Little, Brown's executive v-p and publisher Michael Pietsch will share The Art of Fielding (Sept.), a debut novel by Chad Harbach about ambition and its limits, and The Drop (Nov.) by Michael Connelly, the latest in the bestselling series of Harry Bosch novels.

Penguin's Stephen Morrison, editor-in-chief and associate publisher, will introduce Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore (Sept.) by New Zealand–born award-winning author Stella Duffy and The White Woman on the Green Bicycle (Apr.) by Trinidadian author Monique Roffey. "A newly independent Trinidad offers a rich backdrop for Roffey's evocative exploration of life in a tropical paradise rife with conflict," notes PW.

Louisiana Love

In honor of the ALA host city, we've picked some local authors who will be signing their Louisiana-themed books at the conference. Unless otherwise noted, these authors will be in the booth of New Orleans–area Pelican Publishing (1520), which has been in business since 1926. Visit them to soak up that Louisiana flavor, and please refer to the official ALA event schedule for exact details.

FRIDAY, JUNE 24
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.: Barbara Sillery. The television producer, writer, and author of The Haunting of Louisiana looks at some of the scary legends of the Bayou State.

5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.: Nancy Wilson. Louisiana's Italians, Food, Recipes, and Folkways is a collection of anecdotes and recipes from Louisiana's Italian immigrants, inspired by the stories of Wilson's Italian-American mother-in-law. For more than 30 years, Wilson has been president of Louisiana Gourmet Enterprises Inc., a family-owned business that manufactures Cajun-Creole dinner mixes and specialty gourmet cake and frosting mixes under the Mam Papaul brand.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25
9 a.m.–10:00 a.m.: Berthe Amoss. The New Orleans native and author of The Loup Garou recounts the 1755 adventures of Robert and his two friends, Louis and Little Otter, as the English try to force them from their homes. Amoss and her husband divide their time between New Orleans and Pass Christian, Miss., where they rebuilt their home that was lost in Hurricane Katrina.

9–11 a.m.: Dale Curry. A veteran food writer and author of New Orleans Home Cooking delivers a wealth of authentic recipes that have stood the test of time.

10 a.m.–noon: Marita Gentry, illustrator of The Cajun Cornbread Boy. Gentry's fourth collaboration with author Dianne de Las Casas follows the adventures of a Cajun cornbread boy with a peppercorn nose, a boudin mouth, chili-pepper eyes, and lots of cayenne pepper, as he sprints through the swamps in shrimp boots and a cast-iron skillet hat.

Noon–1 p.m.: Freddi Williams Evans. In Battle of New Orleans: The Drummer's Story, artist, therapist, and educator Williams offers a rhyming picture storybook that explains the important role a drummer played during wartime, as told by Jordan Noble, an African-American drummer who played his drum in three American wars, including the Battle of New Orleans.

1–3 p.m.: R. Stephanie Bruno. Architectural historian and preservation consultant Bruno, author of New Orleans Streets: A Walker's Guide to Neighborhood Architecture, writes about New Orleans neighborhoods for the New Orleans Times-Picayune's "StreetWalker" column.

1–3 p.m.: Johnette Downing. In Today Is Monday in Louisiana, author/illustrator Downing adapts a longtime Louisiana song and includes a recipe for red beans and rice so readers can begin their week the Louisiana way.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26
10 a.m.–noon: Holly Stone-Barker illustrates Mama's Bayou, with brilliantly detailed and textured cut-paper, in Dianne de Las Casas's simple stroll through the swampy wilderness, which introduces children to animal sounds.

11 a.m.–noon: Jewell Parker Rhodes (S&S, booth TBA). In Hurricane, the third volume of Rhodes's voodoo-inspired series, an environmental disaster brews in New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina threatens. Rhodes will also appear at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 27, in support of the Katrina-themed story Ninth Ward (Little, Brown BFYR, booth 1129), Rhodes's first novel for young readers.

11 a.m.–noon: Ciji Ware. In the forthcoming Midnight on Julia Street (Sourcebooks, booth 1355), television producer, reporter, writer, and radio host Ware weaves together romance and history during two eras of New Orleans.

1–3 p.m.: Tom Aswell. The journalist and author of Louisiana Rocks! The True Genesis of Rock and Roll considers how the Louisiana influences of swamp pop, Cajun, zydeco, R&B, rockabilly, country, and blues mixed and gave birth to rock and roll as we know it today.

1–3 p.m.: Cajun storyteller Sheila Hébert Collins (Jacques et la Canne à Sucre: A Cajun Jack and the Beanstalk and Les Trois Cochons) retells the popular fairy tales with a Cajun twist and includes definitions and pronunciation guides for Cajun-French words.

2–4 p.m.: Cecilia Casrill Dartez. A former elementary school teacher, Dartez, in Jenny Giraffe Discovers the French Quarter, follows Jenny Giraffe and her new friends, Claude and Angelle, a French couple who agree to help Jenny avoid being discovered and returned to the zoo.

MONDAY, JUNE 27
9–10 a.m.: William Sargent. Via Amazon's CreateSpace, Sargent self-published The Well from Hell: The BP Spill and the Endurance of Big Oil (Strawberry Hill Books, booth 3829) because, he told PW, "I was busy when the spill first occurred, and by the time I got around to writing the proposal, about five other books had been published." A consultant for the Nova science series, Sargent has written eight books about science and the environment and says he's been "very pleased" with his Amazon experience.

See all of the features in our ALA 2011 preview.