Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Virginia Children’s Book Festival (VCBF) invites teachers and families to register for free live sessions with bestselling authors and illustrators throughout October.

With a lineup of 19 of the country’s most cherished and bestselling authors and illustrators, the Virginia Children’s Book Festival is excited to mark its second exclusively virtual festival this year.

This year’s virtual VCBF, held daily at 1 p.m. EST on weekdays throughout October, features a diverse variety of bestselling authors and illustrators, including Ann M. Martin (“The Babysitters Club”), Max Brallier (“The Last Kids on Earth”), Vashti Harrison (“Hair Love”) and award-winning illustrator LeUyen Pham (“Friends Forever”).

Teachers and parents can register and view the calendar of events at www.vachildrensbook festival.org. Registration is free, and attendees have access to daily live sessions, archived sessions to view at their convenience until mid-November and supplemental resources such as lesson plans.

“While we wish we could all be together in person, we are so excited to continue offering our virtual festival this year,” Executive Director Juanita Giles explained. “We didn’t think our lineup could get any better than last year’s, but we are over the moon about all the incredible authors and illustrators we have with us this year. It’s going to be great!”

This year’s festival has a different focus each week of October: science fiction and thriller; graphic novel and fantasy; hip—hop and reality; and picture books and illustration.

The 2021 Virginia Children’s Book Festival lineup is:

• Kate Messner — “History Smashers”

• Tracey Baptiste — “African Icons”

• Loren Long — “Change Sings”

• Ann M. Martin — “The Baby-Sitters Club”

• Wendy Shang and Lorian Tu — “The Rice in the Pot Goes Round and Round”

• Kayla Miller — “Clash”

• Max Brallier — “The Last Kids on Earth”

• Malik “Malik—16” Sharif — “Let Me Hear a Rhyme”

• Vashti Harrison — “Hair Love”

• Chad Sell — “The Cardboard Kingdom”

• LeUyen Pham and Shannon Hale — “Friends Forever”

• Chris Grabenstein — “Mr. Lemoncello’s Library”

• Dwayne Reed — “Simon B. Rhymin’”

• Jerry Craft — “Class Act”

• Benson Shum — “Alex’s Good Fortune”

• Padma Venkatraman — “The Bridge Home”

• Laurie Halse Anderson — “Shout”

The Virginia Children’s Book Festival team is a group of dedicated volunteers that works tirelessly to bring opportunity to every child, regardless of circumstance. Founded by Juanita Giles and Katie Snyder in 2011, the VCBF has grown into the largest children’s book festival on the East Coast. In addition to providing its centerpiece festival free of charge, the VCBF donates thousands of books each year, establishes libraries at juvenile detention centers, operates a mobile READcart, provides programming for children with special needs, produces an annual mural project and more.