This week an author signs books around New York City; the Ezra Jack Keats Award recipients gather online to discuss their work; a Nashville bookstore hosts a launch event; and a virtual panel at the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival focuses on back matter.
Dear Student
On April 4, author Elly Swartz made visits to several New York City bookstores, including Books Are Magic, the Strand, and Barnes & Noble Union Square to sign copies of her new middle grade novel Dear Student (Delacorte Press, Feb.). The book follows rising sixth grader Autumn, the voice behind anonymous advice column “Dear Student,” who gets stuck in the middle of a feud when her two friends write in to the column.
Keats Feats
The recipients of the Ezra Jack Keats Award gathered in a virtual event with Books of Wonder bookstore on April 10. (Clockwise, from top l.) Marta Bartolj, Anne Wynter, Pat Cummings, Kenesha Sneed, Paul Harbridge, Joanna Ho, and Gracey Zhang talked about the inspirations behind their own works and the value of representation in children’s media.
The Silent Unseen
Parnassus Books in Nashville welcomed author Amanda McCrina to celebrate the launch of her debut YA novel The Silent Unseen (FSG, Apr.) at an in-person event on April 5. McCrina appeared in conversation with author Marina Scott (The Hunger Between Us, FSG, Nov.), discussing their books, crafting historical fiction, and more.
What’s the Matter
Back matter was the topic of a panel at the 2022 Virtual Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival on April 6. Hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi, the event featured children’s authors (clockwise, from top l.) Lisa Katzenberger, Helen H. Wu, Sophia Gholz, Meera Sriram, and Charlotte Offsay.
