SPEAKER at CHARLOTTE HUCK CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL, Redlands, CA

Book signing at the Charlotte Huck Children's Literature Festival

Last week on Friday and Saturday I attended the 27^th annual Charlotte Huck Children’s Literature Festival at the University of Redlands in Redlands, California--two full days of inspiring keynote speakers, stimulating breakout sessions, and the opportunity to meet and chat with teachers, librarians and other authors. 

Festival Program cover, Art by Dan Santat

Keynote speakers were Tami Charles, Dan Santat, Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, Mac Barnett and Gennifer Choldenko. Breakout sessions were led by a variety of authors, librarians and educators, including me.  In addition to all the talks and breakout sessions, there were book signings, book sales, opportunity drawings for baskets of books, and tasty lunches and food at the Friday reception.

With Rachel Kendall and her 6th grade class from Redlands Adventist Academy

On Friday morning I presented a breakout session with teacher Rachel Kendall from the Redlands Adventist Academy. The title of our session was Graphic Picture Books Keep Young Readers Turning the Page. I gave an overview of graphic picture books, showing how they combine text, images, word balloons, sound effects and panels to tell the story and then shared my book My Friend from Outer Space. Earlier this year I had read the book to Mrs. Kendall’s 6^th grade class and then each of the students made their own graphic picture book using my book as an inspiration. 

Cover of student book, The Blue Water Bottle

Page from student book Dot's Perfect Day

Mrs. Kendall brought her students to the festival and at the end of the session they shared their books with the audience. Everyone in the audience was impressed by the variety of subjects the students had chosen for their books and the creativity of their stories and illustrations. If there was one thing they all learned, it was that it is not easy to be an author! 

Charlotte Burgess awarding Janet Wong with the Charlotte Huck Honoree Award

I thank all the people on the planning committee who make this festival possible, especially Marjorie Arnett, Festival Coordinator and founder of the festival twenty-seven years ago, and Charlotte Burgess, Festival Chairperson, niece and namesake of Charlotte Huck. I have been to this wonderful festival of books and reading numerous times in the past and it was a pleasure to participate once again. Each year it gets better and better.

Author/Poet Janet Wong