The ninth annual Tweens Read took place on October 19 at Pasadena Memorial High School in Pasadena, Tex., bringing together more than 2,200 attendees—60% of whom were tween readers. Hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop, in conjunction with educators in the greater Houston area, the day was full of connection and discovery for book lovers and creators. Author Jason Reynolds delivered two keynotes and appeared on panels. The festival concluded with a mass author signing, featuring all 25 participating authors. We’ve gathered a selection of highlights from the event. All photos courtesy of Two Cats Communications.

Jason Reynolds, author of Look Both Ways (Atheneum/Dlouhy), gives a keynote address.

Tweens Read authors (seated, from l.): Kwmae Mbalia, Rebecca Balcarcel, Andy Mientus, (middle row, from l.) Barbara Roberts, Jo Knowles, Carlos Hernandez, Remy Lai, Matthew Holm, Sandy Stark-McGinnis, Jamie Sumner, Jasmine Warga, Rajani LaRocca, Varsha Bajaj, Rex Ogle, Lincoln Peirce, Xavier Garza, (back row, from l.) James Riley, Jason Reynolds, Steven Weinberg, Julie Murphy, Matthew Swanson, Jon Scieszka, and Robbi Behr.

Lincoln Peirce discusses his Big Nate series (HarperCollins).

A student asks a question during a panel session.

Jasmine Warga, author of the middle-grade novel Other Words for Home (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray), meets a fan.

Steven Weinberg (l.) and Jon Scieszka talk about their new science fiction adventure, AstroNuts (Chronicle).

Authors (from l.) Carlos Hernandez (Sal & Gabi Break the Universe, Disney/Rick Riordan Presents), Kwame Mbalia (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Disney/Rick Riordan Presents), and James Riley (The Revenge of Magic series, S&S/Aladdin) discuss their new books.

Julie Murphy, author of Dear Sweet Pea (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray).

The “In the Real World” panel featured authors (from l.) Varsha Bajaj (Count Me In, Penguin/Paulsen), Barbara Carroll Roberts (Nikki on the Line, Little, Brown), Rex Ogle (Free Lunch, Norton), and Jason Reynolds (Look Both Ways, Atheneum/Dlouhy).

A view of the signing lines.