The American Booksellers Association’s seventh Children’s Institute, held in Pittsburgh from June 26–28, brought together 330 booksellers from 230 independent bookstores across the country. While the days were packed with educational panels and programming, the evenings featured author signings, dinners, and other chances to connect with colleagues. We’ve gathered a selection of highlights from the conference.

Author-illustrator Jerry Pinkney accompanied Ci7 attendees on the local bookstore tour, here at Riverstone Books in Pittsburgh with owner Barbara Jeremiah (l.) and events coordinator Robin Carroll. Photo: Alex Green.

Bookseller and debut picture book author Ann Patchett (Lambslide) and Javier Ramirez from The Book Table in Oak Park, Ill., during the HarperCollins dinner.

Authors (from l.): David Yoon (Frankly in Love, Putnam); Lindsay Lackey (All the Impossible Things, Roaring Brook); Brittney Morris (Slay, Simon Pulse); Alexandra Villasante (The Grief Keeper, Putnam); Margaret Owen (The Merciful Crow, Holt); Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite (Dear Haiti, Love Alaine, Inkyard); Rory Power (Wilder Girls, Delacorte); Rebecca Kim Wells (Shatter the Sky, S&S); and Rajani LaRocca (Midsummer’s Mayhem, Yellow Jacket) at the Indies Introduce Breakfast.

Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie (r.), author of Layla’s Happiness (Enchanted Lion), with Glory Edim, founder of Well-Read Black Girl.

Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly signs copies of her debut fantasy novel, Lalani of the Distant Sea (Greenwillow), for bookseller Mary Sheila McMahon, a Children’s Institute newcomer, of Linden Tree Books in Los Altos, Calif. Photo: Shannon Maughan.

Rosiee Thor, author of Tarnished Are the Stars, at Scholastic’s Kick Off the Summer After Party. Photo: Emma Kantor.

Joowon Oh (l.), debut author-illustrator of Our Favorite Day (Candlewick), and Cece Bell, author-illustrator of Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot! (Candlewick).

Sergio Ruzzier, illustrator of Roar Like a Dandelion by the late Ruth Krauss (HarperCollins). Photo: Emma Kantor.

DK Life Stories author Wil Mara (l.) with actor and author Henry Winkler at the Children’s Institute Welcome Reception.

Brendan Wenzel speaking to a group of booksellers about his new picture book, A Stone Sat Still (Chronicle).

Booksellers BrocheAroe Fabian of River Dog Book Co. (l) and Clarissa Murphy of the MIT Press Bookstore took a moment to read Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (Candlewick) during a visit to Riverstone Books. Photo: Alex Green.

Debut author Hafsah Faizal (We Hunt the Flame, FSG) meets a bookseller.

Ci7 scholarship recipient Clare Doornbos (l.) of Book Passage in Corte Madera, Calif., and Summer Dawn Laurie of Books Inc. in San Francisco, a member of the ABC Advisory Council and Booksellers Advisory Council. Photo: Shannon Maughan.

(From l.): Chris Myers, author-illustrator and creative director of Random House’s Make Me a World imprint; Namrata Tripathi, v-p and publisher of Penguin's Kokila imprint; Rebecca Wells of Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Mass.; and Hannah Oliver Depp of Loyalty Bookstore in Silver Spring, Md., discuss the importance of “Representation in Publishing.”

(From l.): Author Margaret Owen (The Merciful Crow), Emily Hall of Main Street Books in St. Charles, Mo., and publicity director Molly Ellis at the Macmillan dinner.

Jamie Fiocco, owner and general manager of Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, N.C., who is also the new ABA board president, chats with Oren Teicher, outgoing CEO of the American Booksellers Association. Photo: Shannon Maughan.

Author Ibtihaj Muhammad (l.) (The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family, Little, Brown) and illustrator Oge Mora (Saturday, Little, Brown) signed copies of their picture books.

(From l.): Angela Whited of Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, Jonathan Hamilt of Drag Queen Story Hour in New York City, Anastasia McKenna of the Twig Book Shop in San Antonio, and Tegan Tigani of Queen Anne Book Co. in Seattle opened their session on “The Art of Reading Aloud” with a group warmup. Photo: Emma Kantor.