Popular authors, illustrators to meet public at
Rochester Children’s Book Festival

Annual event brings together talent from across Upstate New York

By Karin Gaffney Christensen

Where can you meet both a winner of the Newbery Medal and a winner of the Caldecott Medal, the two top honors in children’s publishing, both in the same room? And for free? Believe it or not, the answer is: Right here in Rochester!

The 10th annual Rochester Children’s Book Festival is expected to outdo itself again this year, featuring even more authors and illustrators and lots of free family fun.

There will be nearly 40 authors and illustrators who hail from Upstate New York, an area rich in writing and illustrating talent. The community can meet local individuals such as Newbery Medal winner Linda Sue Park, who was recognized with the prestigious honor in 2002 for her novel “A Single Shard,” as well as Vivian Vande Velde, Ellen Stoll Walsh, Rafe Martin, Stu Smith, Tedd Arnold, Robin Pulver and Susan Wojciechowski, to name just a few.

Joining them at the festival will be several visiting authors and illustrators, including Paul O. Zelinsky, who was awarded the Caldecott Medal for his picture book “Rapunzel” in 1998, and James Howe, author of the popular Bunnicula series.

The event’s successful 10-year run is an indication of the interest the region has in quality children’s literature.

“Upstate boasts an amazing number of talented children’s writers and illustrators,” says Carol Johmann, president of Rochester Area Children’s Writers & Illustrators and director of the Rochester Children’s Book Festival. “We are pleased and proud that this event has become increasingly popular each year. It’s great fun for us to meet the kids and parents who attend and thank them for their support of our craft. We hope our festival helps show the importance of reading to and by children, and that reading is fun and fundamental.”

The day’s schedule includes:

• All-day book-signing opportunities, with more than 300 titles available
  
  
• Author and illustrator presentations and demonstrations every 30 minutes
  
  
• The “Read to Me” corner, which will feature authors and illustrators reading from their picture books
  
  
• “One Busy Bookworm Place” offers hands-on activities such as arts, crafts and games
  
  
• The “Just for Teens Corner” where teens (sixth-graders and older) can interact with young adult writers.

The book festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at MCC Brighton Campus, 1000 E. Henrietta Road. For a complete event schedule and for more information about participating authors and illustrators, log on to www.rochesterchildrensbookfestival.org.

The 10th annual Rochester Children’s Book Festival is organized by the Rochester Area Children’s Writers & Illustrators organization. Founded in 1997 by author Vivian Vande Velde, the festival was sponsored by local public libraries for its first six years. In the past few years, first Strong Museum and then Monroe Community College hosted the event. This year the Rundel Library Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County and the Rochester Public Library, serves as the festival’s non-profit fiscal agent. Lift Bridge Book Shop, Brockport, N.Y., is the festival’s book vendor and major supporter; WXXI Public Broadcasting is the official media sponsor.

©2006, Karin Gaffney Christensen. All rights reserved.