Schedule – U.S. Book Show

PLAN YOUR SCHEDULE

U.S. Book Show will feature a variety of keynote speakers, editor and author panels, and special timely and topical library, bookselling and industry programming.

Attendees enjoyed a packed schedule and have a front row seat to seasoned, debut and emerging voices.

Editors’ Picks panels will feature Fall 2023 (August–December) books, chosen and highlighted by Publishers Weekly‘s editors in selected categories. These panels will give attendees an up-close opportunity to hear the “story behind the story” from each book’s editor.

Author panels will bring together some of the brightest and talented creators of content to discuss their upcoming books in depth with industry expert moderators.

DAY 1
LIBRARIES ARE ESSENTIAL / AAPI

DAY 2
COMICS/GN

DAY 3
ADULT BOOKS

DAY 3
CHILDREN'S/YA BOOKS

DAY 4
EDITORS' PICKS

DAY 1
LIBRARIES ARE ESSENTIAL / AAPI

DAY 2
COMICS/GN

DAY 3
ADULT BOOKS

DAY 3
CHILDREN'S/YA BOOKS

DAY 4
EDITORS' PICKS

MONDAY, MAY 22 Livestreamed to a Virtual Audience
Libraries Are Essential With the third annual Libraries Are Essential program, the U.S. Book Show once again acknowledges a simple fact: America’s libraries are more than just a key marketplace for publishers and authors, they are bedrock institutions, anchors in our communities, vital to the health of our democracy and society, and crucial to our reading and literary cultures. Moderated by PW Senior Writer Andrew Richard Albanese, the 2023 Libraries Are Essential program will focus on two key issues facing the library community. The morning session will explore how librarians and freedom-to-read advocates can defeat this unprecedented assault on the freedom to read currently surging across the nation. And the afternoon session will look at what’s next for digital resources in public libraries as the pandemic gives way and a new normal begins to settle in. The program will close with a keynote panel discussion about the central role young people will play in dismantling racism and injustice, featuring bestselling authors Ibram X. Kendi and Nic Stone, co-authors of How to Be a (Young) Antiracist, in conversation with Nicole A. Cooke, Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina.
10:30–11:45 AM	Morning Session
Book Banning in America: What’s Driving the Nationwide Surge in Book Bans—and How Freedom-to-Read Advocates Can Win The unprecedented, politically motivated surge in book bans and attacks on the freedom to read continues to reach alarming new heights in communities across the nation. In this frank discussion, a group of politically savvy public advocates will explore how libraries and library supporters can push back—and win.
John Chrastka John Chrastka is the Founder and Executive Director of EveryLibrary, the first and only national political action committee for libraries. The organization works every election season to support dozens of local ballot initiatives across the country—and to support libraries in their defense of the freedom to read.
Kelly Jensen Kelly Jensen is a writer and editor for Book Riot. A former librarian, she has become one of the nation’s foremost chroniclers of the current wave of book bans and legislation threatening the freedom to read. Her weekly book censorship news column for Book Riot is a must-read.
Amanda Jones Amanda Jones is a veteran educator and school librarian and the 2021 School Library Journal Co-Librarian of the Year. Since she spoke up in defense of the freedom to read at her local library in 2022—and was subsequently attacked on social media—she has become one of the country’s most outspoken and effective defenders of the librarians and teachers standing up for the freedom to read.
Emily Knox Emily Knox is an Associate Professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, author of the acclaimed Book Banning in 21st Century America, and board president at the National Coalition Against Censorship.
Raegan Miller Raegan Miller is the Director of Development and Finance for the Florida Freedom to Read Project, a grassroots organization committed to defending every student’s right to access information and ideas while at school. She is the mother of two children in public school in Florida, and has served as the Legislative Chair and VP of Advocacy for Pinellas County Council PTA.
MODERATOR Andrew Richard Albanese PW senior writer Andrew Richard Albanese leads the magazine’s library coverage. Albanese has covered the publishing and information technology fields for more than 22 years and is a former associate editor of American history at Oxford University Press, a former editor at Library Journal, and author of The Battle of $9.99: How Apple, Amazon and the Big Six Publishers Changed the E-book Business Overnight.
11:45 AM–12:00 PM	Break
12:00–12:20 PM	OverDrive In Conversation
Leveraging Flexible Content Access Models and Other Tools to Engage More Readers presented by OverDrive As libraries respond to budget constraints, the demand for digital books continues to rise. As a result, publishers are offering more flexible terms and access models that provide better value for ebooks and audiobooks. This session brings together industry leaders on the forefront of digital library lending: expert librarians and a senior leader with the leading digital platform who will share their experiences with a variety of access models and their impact on circulation, as well as other strategies and tools that can effectively stretch the budget.
Kate Mutch Kate Mutch works at the Virtual Library of Wyoming.
Sandra Breedlove Sandra Breedlove works at the Sonoma County Library in California.
MODERATOR Karen Estrovich Karen Estrovich is the senior manager of Public Library Digital Success teams at OverDrive.
12:20–12:30 PM	Break
12:30–1:15 PM	Afternoon Session
Digital Trends: Three Years After the Pandemic Shutdowns Began, What Does the New Normal Look Like for Public Libraries? When Covid-19 forced the nation into lockdown three years ago, digital library resources hit stratospheric new levels—and so, too, did book sales. With the pandemic now over, what did we learn about library usage? What new pressures are libraries grappling with as we get back to some sense of “normal?” And is the library e-book market slipping back into a familiar, contentious place? This panel will bring together three leading digital directors to discuss what we learned about libraries during the pandemic and where things still need to go.
Edward Melton Edward Melton is Executive Director of the Harris County Public Library, where he oversees 26 branch libraries serving nearly two million residents. In 2022, Harris County had the fourth most digital checkouts in the nation via OverDrive.
Ellen Paul Ellen Paul is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Library Consortium, a non-profit membership group serving over 950 academic, public, school and special libraries across the state.
Lisa Rosenblum Lisa Rosenblum is director of the King County Library System (WA), one of the busiest library systems in the country. KCLS consistently ranks as one of the nation’s leaders in digital circulations and in 2022 had the second most digital checkouts in the nation via OverDrive.
MODERATOR Andrew Richard Albanese
1:15–2:00 PM	Closing Keynote
Ibram X. Kendi and Nic Stone, in conversation with Nicole A. Cooke
Ibram X. Kendi Ibram X. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University and the Founding Director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is the author of many highly acclaimed books, including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, as well as five straight #1 New York Times bestsellers, including How to Be an Antiracist, Antiracist Baby, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored by Jason Reynolds. In 2021 he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant. Photo credit: Janice Checchio
Nic Stone Nic Stone is an Atlanta native, a Spelman College graduate, and the author of several bestselling books including her debut YA novel, Dear Martin, and her first middle-grade novel, Clean Getaway. She is also the author of Odd One Out, which was an NPR Best Book of the Year and a Rainbow Book List Top Ten selection; Jackpot; Shuri: A Black Panther Novel; and Dear Justyce, the sequel to Dear Martin.
MODERATOR Nicole A. Cooke Nicole A. Cooke is the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina. Cooke was awarded the ALA’s Equality award in 2016, and she was the 2019 ALISE Excellence in Teaching Award recipient. She has edited and authored several books, including Information Services to Diverse Populations and Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-Truth Era.
AAPI Communities in Conversation “AAPI Communities in Conversation,” featuring authors, creators and librarians. The special livestreaming event centers around Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices, books, cultures and experiences. The program is a collaborative effort from the University of South Carolina’s Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and Penguin Random House Library Marketing.

9:30–10:30 AM	Registration & Galley Room Open
10:30–11:00 AM	Welcome & Opening Keynote
Lauren Groff in Conversation with Meg Wolitzer The Vaster Wilds (Riverhead, September) Lauren Groff is a three-time National Book Award finalist and The New York Times-bestselling author of the novels The Monsters of Templeton, Arcadia, Fates and Furies, and Matrix, and the celebrated short story collections Delicate Edible Birds and Florida. She has won The Story Prize, the PEN/O. Henry Award, and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, and has been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her work regularly appears in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. Meg Wolitzer is the New York Times-bestselling author of, among other titles, The Female Persuasion and The Interestings. Wolitzer is also the host of NPR’s Selected Shorts, and she lives in New York City.
11:05–12:00 PM	Big Books of Next Season
Mitch Albom Little Liar (Harper, November) Author, philanthropist, columnist, and sports broadcaster Mitch Albom is an inspiration around the world. Albom is the author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, which have collectively sold more than 40 million copies in 48 languages worldwide. He has written eight number-one New York Times bestsellers—including Tuesdays with Morrie, the bestselling memoir of all time, which topped the list for four straight years and celebrated its 25^th anniversary in 2022. He has also written award-winning TV films, stage plays, screenplays, a nationally syndicated newspaper column, and a musical. He appeared for more than 20 years on ESPN, and was a fixture on The Sports Reporters. Through his work at the Detroit Free Press, he was inducted into both the National Sports Media Association and Michigan Sports halls of fame and was the recipient of the Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement.
Elizabeth Acevedo Family Lore (Ecco, August) Elizabeth Acevedo is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie medal, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award. She is also the author of With the Fire on High—which was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal—and Clap When You Land, which was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor book and a Kirkus finalist. She holds a BA in Performing Arts from George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her love.
Kiley Reid Come and Get It (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, January/2024) Kiley Reid is the author of Such a Fun Age, which was a New York Times bestseller and longlisted for the Booker Prize. Her writing has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Playboy, The Guardian, and others. Reid is currently an assistant professor at the University of Michigan.
Alice McDermott Absolution (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, November) Alice McDermott is the author of several novels, including The Ninth Hour; Someone; After This; Child of My Heart; Charming Billy, winner of the 1998 National Book Award; and At Weddings and Wakes—all published by FSG. That Night, At Weddings and Wakes, and After This were all finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. Her stories and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, and elsewhere. For more than two decades, she was the Richard A. Macksey Professor of the Humanities at Johns Hopkins University and a member of the faculty at the Sewanee Writers Conference. McDermott lives with her family outside Washington, D.C.
MODERATOR Maris Kreizman Maris Kreizman is the host of The Maris Review, a weekly literary podcast from Lit Hub. Her work has appeared in New York Magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Esquire, The New Republic, and more. Her essay collection, I Want to Burn This Place Down, is forthcoming from Ecco/HarperCollins.
12:05–12:35 PM	Lunch Keynote
Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Coleman Foote in Conversation with Glory Edim Coleman Hill: A Novel (SJP Lit, September) Sarah Jessica Parker is an Emmy– and Golden Globe–winning actress, television producer, entrepreneur, tastemaker, and bibliophile. In 2022 she launched a new imprint, SJP Lit, with independent publisher Zando Projects. Parker has long been active in the book world, serving as the American Library Association’s honorary Book Club Central chair and as a board member of United for Libraries. Last year she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Kim Coleman Foote is an award-winning writer of fiction and memoir whose debut novel, Coleman Hill: A Biomythography, is one of the first releases from SJP Lit. Her work has appeared most recently in The Best American Short Stories 2022, Iron Horse Literary Review, Ecotone, and The Rumpus. She is the recipient of numerous honors including writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Phillips Exeter Academy, Center for Fiction, Yaddo, MacDowell, and Hedgebrook. Kim also received a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct research about the slave trade in Ghana, where she inadvertently wrote a memoir about her experiences. Glory Edim is an author, activist, and the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a nationwide book club-turned-literacy non-profit that celebrates the life changing power of literature. Glory has won numerous awards for her work supporting and sustaining literature, including the 2017 Innovator’s Award from the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes and the Madam C.J. Walker Award from the Hurston/Wright Foundation.
12:35–1:45 PM	Lunch Break & Galley Room Open
1:55–2:15 PM	In Conversation
Adele Griffin in Conversation with Kate Tuttle The Favor (Sourcebooks Landmark, June) Adele Griffin is the acclaimed author of over thirty books. Her works include the National Book Award Finalists Sons of Liberty and Where I Want to Be. Her novel, The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone, was named a YALSA Best Book, an Amazon Best Book of the Year, a Booklist Top Ten Arts Books for Youth, a JLG selection, a Romantic Times Finalist for Book of the Year, and a School Library Journal Top Fiction pick. Kate Tuttle is an executive editor at People magazine, covering books. A past president of the National Book Critics Circle, she formerly edited the books pages at the Boston Globe.
2:20–3:15 PM	Debut Authors
Alice Carrière Everything/Nothing/Someone: A Memoir (Spiegel & Grau, August) Alice Carrière is a graduate of Columbia University. Her memoir is a powerful literary debut of coming of age while struggling with dissociative disorder following an unconventional upbringing in Greenwich Village as the daughter of the renowned artist Jennifer Bartlett and European actor Mathieu Carrière. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and Amagansett, New York.
Kelsey James The Woman in the Castello (Kensington Books, August) Kelsey James is a historical fiction author, content marketer, and former travel editor. A graduate of Dartmouth College, she currently lives with her family outside New York City. The Woman in the Castello is her debut novel, to be followed by The Secrets of Rose Briar Hall in summer 2024. Please visit her online at KelseyJamesAuthor.com.
Terah Shelton Harris Terah Shelton Harris is a collection development librarian based in Alabama and a freelance writer. She has been published in Women’s Health, Natural Solutions, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Backpacker, Draft, and Women’s Adventure.
MODERATOR Louisa Ermelino Louisa Ermelino is the author of three novels, including Joey Dee Gets Wise (St. Martin’s Press). She has worked as a reporter at People, InStyle, and TIME International.
3:20–3:40 PM	In Conversation
Tess Gerritsen in Conversation with Grace Doyle The Spy Coast (Thomas & Mercer, October) International bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A Stanford University graduate, Tess went on to gain her MD at the University of California, San Francisco. While on maternity leave as a physician, she began to write fiction. She published her first novel in 1987 and has since sold over 40 million copies of books in 40 countries, winning the Nero Wolfe Award and the RITA Award. Her novels have been top-three US bestsellers and number one bestsellers abroad. Critics worldwide praise her novels as “pulse-pounding fun” (Philadelphia Inquirer), “scary and brilliant” (Toronto Globe and Mail), and “polished, riveting prose” (Chicago Tribune). Grace Doyle is the Associate Publisher at Amazon Publishing, where she oversees the Thomas & Mercer (mystery, thriller, and true crime), Amazon Crossing (world literature in translation), and 47North (science fiction and fantasy) imprints. A 2019 Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree, Doyle has worked with bestselling authors including Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwell, Tess Gerritsen, Robert Dugoni, Lee Goldberg, and Barry Eisler.
3:50–4:10 PM	In Conversation
Patty Lin in Conversation with Zibby Owens End Credits (Zibby Books, September) Patty Lin is a former TV writer and producer whose credits include Freaks and Geeks, Friends, Desperate Housewives, and Breaking Bad. She has also written pilots for Fox, CBS, and Nickelodeon. Her Breaking Bad episode, “Gray Matter,” was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for Outstanding Script of 2008 in the Episodic Drama category. She retired from television writing to pursue other interests and occasionally appears in background acting roles. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Zibby Owens is an author, award-winning podcaster, entrepreneur, and CEO. Owens founded Zibby Media, a privately-held media company, in 2018, with her award-winning podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books. The company has since grown to include the publishing house Zibby Books, the magazine Zibby Mag, the podcast network Zibby Audio, the education platform Zibby Classes and community events like retreats, a book club, and a writing community.
4:30–5:00 PM	Closing Keynote
Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor (Chronicle Books, October) Keegan-Michael Key is an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning actor, writer, and producer. Keegan is perhaps best known for starring alongside Jordan Peele in their multiple-award-winning show Key & Peele. His other credits include Apple TV+’s Emmy-nominated Schmigadoon!, Netflix’s The Prom, the Critic’s Choice-nominated Reboot on Hulu, and starring alongside Timothée Chalamet in the Warner Brothers’ feature Wonka. His voicework in animated features includes The Lion King, Toy Story 4, and The Super Mario Brothers Movie. He made his off-Broadway debut in Hamlet with Oscar Isaac, and his Broadway debut in Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower with Amy Schumer. Keegan redefines what it means to be a multi-hyphenate in the worlds of film, television, and theater, and his wildly varied and indelible performances have won him fans of all ages and backgrounds. Elle Key is an award-winning film and television director, writer, and producer. She is the co-president and founder of Bigger Picture Media Group and has been writing and directing with, and for, her partner Keegan-Michael Key for almost a decade. Born in New York City, she spent her early career producing a number of independent feature films including Nanette Burstein’s Sundance award-winning documentary American Teen; August with Josh Hartnett, Naomi Harris, and David Bowie; and was a second unit producer on Doug Liman’s Fair Game with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. She was an executive producer on Brain Games for Disney/Nat Geo as well as an executive producer with James Corden for Game On! for CBS. She has written and directed several projects for the NFL, the Pro-Bowl, the Peabody Awards, and the Gotham Awards, and she was the first female head writer for The NFL Honors. In 2022, Elle won the People’s Voice Webby Award for Best Writing for her original Audible series The History of Sketch Comedy.

9:30–10:30 AM	Registration & Galley Room Open
10:30–11:00 AM	Welcome & Opening Keynote
Meg Medina in Conversation with Amber Williams Award-winning author, Newbery medalist and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature 2023–2024 Meg Medina is the eighth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning author who writes for children and teens. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award as well as the Pura Belpré Award and Honor. She is the 2019 Newbery Medal winner for her novel Merci Suárez Changes Gears. When she is not writing, she works on community projects that support Latinx youth. She lives with her family in Richmond, Virginia. You can follow Meg on Twitter @meg_medina and on Instagram @megmedinabooks. Amber Williams is the Editorial Director at The New York Times for Kids.
11:05–12:00 PM	Big Books of Next Season
Melissa de la Cruz The (Super Secret) Octagon Valley Society (Disney Hyperion, September) Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, #1 Publishers Weekly, and #1 IndieBound bestselling author of Isle of the Lost and Return to the Isle of the Lost as well as many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. Her books have also topped the USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and have been published in more than twenty countries.
Candice Iloh Salt the Water (Dutton Books for Young Readers, October) Candice Iloh is a first-generation Nigerian American writer from the Midwest by way of Washington, D.C. and Brooklyn, New York whose books center home, self-awareness, and Black sustainability. They are a proud alumna of the Rhode Island Writers Colony and their work has earned fellowships from Lambda Literary, VONA, Kimbilio Fiction and a residency with Hi-ARTS, where they debuted their first one-person show in 2018. Candice became a 2020 National Book Award Finalist and in 2021, a Printz Award Honoree for their debut novel, Every Body Looking. Break This House is their second novel.
Karen M. McManus One of Us Is Back (Delacorte, July) Karen M. McManus is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of young adult thrillers. Her work includes One of Us Is Lying, which has been turned into a television show on Peacock and Netflix, and additional series titles One of Us is Next and One of Us Is Back (publishing in July 2023), as well as the standalone novels Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, You’ll Be the Death of Me, and Nothing More to Tell. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages. Karen lives in Massachusetts and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northeastern University, which she uses to draft fake news stories for her novels. To learn more about Karen and her books, visit karenmcmanus.com, or follow @writerkmc on Twitter and Instagram.
Peter H. Reynolds All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow! (Orchard Books, September) Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children including Happy Dreamer, The Word Collector, Say Something!, Be You! and Our Table. He is also the illustrator of When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni. His books have been translated into over 25 languages around the globe and are celebrated worldwide. In 1996, he founded FableVision with his brother, Paul, as a social change agency to help create “stories that matter, stories that move.” He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, with his family. Visit him online at peterhreynolds.com.
MODERATOR Maria Russo Maria Russo is the editorial director of Astra Publishing House’s Minerva and minedition imprints. She is the former children’s book editor at the New York Times Book Review and coauthor of How to Raise a Reader (Workman). Russo has also been a writer and editor at the Los Angeles Times and the New York Observer. She holds a PhD in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University and taught at the university’s School of General Studies.
12:05–12:35 PM	Lunch Keynote
Jacqueline Woodson in Conversation with Miwa Messer Remember Us (Nancy Paulsen Books, October) Named a MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient in 2020, Jacqueline Woodson has earned accolades for her children’s, YA and adult books, most recently the 2023 E.B. White Award for achievement in children’s literature. Her New York Times bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dreaming won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2014, the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor, the NAACP Image Award and Sibert Honor. Woodson is a former Young People’s Poet Laureate (2015–2017), National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (2018) and winner of an NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens for Before the Ever After (2020). In 2018, she also received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, which honors international children’s literature. The acclaimed Miracle’s Boys was made into a TV miniseries directed by Spike Lee, LaVar Burton and others. Miwa Messer is a career bookseller and the creator, executive producer, and host of Poured Over, the Barnes & Noble podcast.
12:35–1:30 PM	Lunch & Galley Room Open
1:30–1:50 PM	In Conversation
Wade Hudson in Conversation with Carolyn P. Yoder Invincible: Fathers and Mothers of Black America (Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers, September) Wade Hudson is the author of numerous books for children, including the memoir Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South. He’s also the co-editor of the critically acclaimed collection Recognize!: An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life. He and his wife Cheryl are not only frequent co-authors, but also the co-founders and publishers of Just Us Books, a company dedicated to publishing books geared toward Black children. Carolyn P. Yoder is the editorial director and founding editor of Calkins Creek, the U.S. history imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. Previously she was the senior editor of history at HIGHLIGHTS magazine, an editor and writer for the New Jersey Historical Society, the director of the New Hampshire Antiquarian Society, and the editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Cobblestone Publishing.
1:55–2:15 PM	In Conversation
Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes in Conversation with Kit Ballenger Greeking Out: Epic Retellings of Classic Greek Myths (National Geographic Kids, September) Kenny Curtis has spent more than 30 years in children’s programming as a performer, writer, and producer. He is one of the creators of National Geographic Kids’ Greeking Out podcast series, which he hosts and cowrites alongside his daughter, Jillian Hughes. Together, Kenny and Jillian have helped develop a number of well-known kids’ content offerings for partners and platforms like Pinna, Tinkercast, Kidz Bop, and 8 Pound Gorilla Records. But Kenny may be best known as the human behind the long-running radio program The Animal Farm on SiriusXM’s original family music channel, Kids Place Live. Jillian Hughes is a professional writer with her heart in the kids and family industry. She’s a writer for National Geographic Kids’ Greeking Out podcast series and has contributed to other platforms including Pinna, Tinkercast, and iHeart. She also works as a copywriter crafting marketing collateral for numerous industries. While she enjoys working with all her clients, she is especially partial to collaborating with Kenny—who just happens to be her dad. Kit Ballenger is a Washington, D.C. area youth services librarian and literary consultant with Help Your Shelf. She nurtures literacy-rich environments that sustain joy and build lifelong readers. She appears regularly on satellite radio as the Kids Place Live Librarian in Residence.
2:20–2:40 PM	In Conversation
Ryan La Sala in Conversation with David Levithan Beholder (Scholastic Press, October) Ryan La Sala is a bestselling and award-winning author who writes about surreal things happening to queer people. His debut horror novel, The Honeys, is in development to become a major motion picture. David Levithan has written numerous YA works featuring LGBTQIA+ characters, most notably Boy Meets Boy, Every Day, and Two Boys Kissing, as well as the forthcoming Ryan and Avery. He is currently the VP, Editor and Director of Scholastic Press at Scholastic and the founding editor of the PUSH imprint, which is devoted to finding new voices and new authors in teen literature.
2:50–3:10 PM	In Conversation
Vichet Chum in Conversation with Matia Query Kween (Quill Tree Books, October) Vichet Chum is a Cambodian American writer originally from Carrollton, TX. He graduated from the University of Evansville and received an MFA from Brown University. He currently lives in New York City. Kween is his debut novel, and you can visit Vichet at vichetchum.com. Matia Query is the editor of BookLife at Publishers Weekly. She previously worked as an associate editor in PW‘s children’s department.
3:50–4:10 PM	In Conversation
Brigid Martin in Conversation with Alan Smagler Totally Psychic (Inkyard Press, August) Brigid Martin is a New York-based writer, reader, and serial hobbyist with a soft spot for friendly ghosts. Brigid received her master’s degree from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business and undergraduate degree in English and Music from Stony Brook University. Brigid has enjoyed a career in the publishing field for nearly a decade and is excited to be on the other side of the page with her debut novel, Totally Psychic. Alan Smagler is the v-p of trade sales at Scholastic. At Scholastic, he has overseen the successful conclusion to the Harry Potter series, as well as the launch of the Hunger Games series.
4:15–4:45 PM	Closing Keynote
Matthew Gray Gubler The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand (Pumpkin Patch Press, September) Matthew Gray Gubler is a storyteller from Las Vegas, Nevada, who writes, paints, directs, acts, and knows magic.

PLAN YOUR SCHEDULE

MONDAY, MAY 22

Livestreamed to a Virtual Audience

Libraries Are Essential

Morning Session

Book Banning in America: What’s Driving the Nationwide Surge in Book Bans—and How Freedom-to-Read Advocates Can Win

John Chrastka

Kelly Jensen

Amanda Jones

Emily Knox

Raegan Miller

MODERATOR

Andrew Richard Albanese

Break

OverDrive In Conversation

Leveraging Flexible Content Access Models and Other Tools to Engage More Readers presented by OverDrive

Kate Mutch

Sandra Breedlove

MODERATOR

Karen Estrovich

Break

Afternoon Session

Digital Trends: Three Years After the Pandemic Shutdowns Began, What Does the New Normal Look Like for Public Libraries?

Edward Melton

Ellen Paul

Lisa Rosenblum

MODERATOR

Andrew Richard Albanese

Closing Keynote

Ibram X. Kendi and Nic Stone, in conversation with Nicole A. Cooke

Ibram X. Kendi

Photo credit: Janice Checchio

Nic Stone

MODERATOR

Nicole A. Cooke

AAPI Communities in Conversation

Welcome

Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada

2022–2023 ALA President

A Conversation in the Kitchen

Maya Kaimal

Indian Flavor Every Day

Kevin Pang and Jeffrey Pang

A Very Chinese Cookbook

MODERATOR

Thea James

Break

Must-Have Fiction

Gina Apostol

La Tercera

Ye Chun

Straw Dogs of the Universe

Tania James

Loot

Hannah Michell

Excavations

MODERATOR

Michelle Young

Noteworthy Nonfiction

Ava Chin

Mott Street

Charlotte Gill

Almost Brown

Chenxing Han

One Long Listening: A Memoir of Grief, Friendship and Spiritual Care

Connie Wang

Oh My Mother!

MODERATOR

Lalitha Nataraj

PW‘s Bookstore of the Year and Rep of the Year Awards Announcement

TUESDAY, MAY 23

In-person and Livestreamed to a Virtual Audience

Comic and Graphic Novel Books & Authors

Registration & Galley Room Open

Welcome & Opening Keynote

Roz Chast in Conversation with Emily Flake

I Must Be Dreaming (Bloomsbury, October)

Children’s Big Books of Next Season

Ryan Estrada

Occulted (Iron Circus Comics, June)