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Bad Kitty. The Girl Who Drank The Moon. Judy Moody. Klawde the Evil Alien Warlord Cat. These characters and many more will be in Farmville this October as part of the 11th annual Virginia Children’s Book Festival, held yearly on the campus of Longwood University. 

The Virginia Children’s Book Festival has announced its 2024 author and illustrator lineup, filled with award-winners, best-sellers, and festival-goer favorites from the last eleven years. 

The festival will be held Oct. 16-18 at Longwood University in Farmville. Each day of the festival is split into three sessions, two in the morning and one in the early afternoon. Authors and illustrators engage with children and young adults of all ages in highly interactive sessions designed to make reading come alive to those in attendance. Each session is free and open to all, though school field trips must be registered in advance.

“We have a fantastic lineup this year,” said Juanita Giles, festival director. “There will be plenty of new faces joining some of our regular invitees who have written or illustrated books that have captured the imagination of so many children, including my own. From the earliest readers who love Todd Parr’s colorful illustrations, to beginning readers who grab Max Brallier’s Last Kids on Earth graphic novels off the shelves, to tweens who see themselves in Megan McDonald’s Judy Moody, to the young adults who have worn out the edges of Daniel Nayeri’s Everything Sad is Untrue, there’s something for everything at the Virginia Children’s Book Festival. We hope you will join us in October!”

This year’s author and illustrator lineup

Daniel Nayeri (middle grade and young adult), author of the Newbery Honor winning book Everything Sad is Untrue and many others.

Lillian Rivera (middle grade and young adult), award-winning author of four young adult novels, three middle grade books, and a graphic novel for DC Comics. Her novel Never Look Back is slated for an Amazon movie adaptation.

Lamar Giles (middle grade and young adult), VCBF alumni and award-winning author of acclaimed novels The Getaway, The Last Last Day of Summer, Not so Pure and Simple, and Fake ID. 

Pablo Cartaya (middle grade), VCBF alumni and award-winning author, screenwriter, and educator who has inspired thousands of Virginia children with his entertaining and energetic presentations.

Kelly Barnhill (middle grade), the Newbery Medal Winning author of bestselling novel The Girl Who Drank the Moon. 

Karyn Parsons (middle grade), best known for her role as Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Parsons who has found a second career as an author with the novel How High is the Moon, as well as picture books that feature unsung Black heroes in history.

Kyla Zhao (middle grade and young adult), author of the celebrated novels The Fraud Squad and May the Best Player Win.

M.T. Anderson (middle grade and young adult), award-winning author whose books The Pox Party and Elf Dog and Owl Head have earned him a National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and a Newbery Honor.

Donna Barba Higuera (elementary and middle grade), award-winning author of Lupe Wong Won’t Dance and The Last Cuentista, she won the Sid Fleischman Award for best children’s humor book of the year.

Megan McDonald (upper elementary), the creator of the much-loved character Judy Moody, a headstrong, outspoken third-grader who, along with her younger brother “Stink” is the subject of more than a dozen bestselling books. 

Jason Platt (upper elementary), author and illustrator of the celebrated graphic novel series Middle School Misadventures.

Cece Bell (upper elementary), VCBF alum and author/illustrator of the Newbery Medal winning book El Deafo, as well as other picture books and graphic novels. 

Barbara McClintock (elementary and upper elementary), VCBF alum and author and illustrator of more than 40 books for children, including Adele & Simon, The Mitten, and Where’s Mommy?

Mike Curato (elementary and upper elementary), award-winning author of everything from picture books to the ground-breaking graphic novel Flamer.

Max Brallier (upper elementary and middle grade), VCBF alum and creator of the Last Kids on Earth series, which has been adapted into graphic novels and an Emmy-award winning Netflix series. 

Jay Cooper (upper elementary and middle grade), VCBF alum and author/illustrator of more than 25 books for kids young and old, including the New York Times bestselling series with fellow VCBF author Max Brallier, The Last Comics on Earth.

Todd Parr (elementary), VCBF alum and author of more than 60 books for children, including bestsellers The I Love You Book, The Earth Book, and The Thankful Book. Parr has been a part of the Virginia Children’s Book Festival since its inaugural year.

Tim Ering (elementary), VCBF alum and celebrated illustrator/author whose joie de vivre has made his sessions extraordinarily popular among children for all 11 years of the VCBF. Best known as the illustrator of Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Medal winning book The Tale of Despereaux.

Johnny Marciano (upper elementary and middle grade), VCBF alum and New York Times bestselling author of the Klawde series of illustrated chapter books. He is about to launch the first installment in a new middle-grade series.

Darcie Little Badger (upper elementary and middle grade), Lipan Apache writer whose critically acclaimed debut novel, Elatsoe, was featured in Time magazine as one of the best 100 fantasy books of all time.

Jonathan Roth (elementary and upper elementary), author and illustrator of the Rover and Speck,  and Beep and Bob graphic novel series set in space.

Nick Bruel (elementary and upper elementary), author and illustrator of the uber-popular Bad Kitty books, which are staples on the New York Times bestseller lists. 

Russell Ginns (elementary and upper elementary), VCBF alum and writer who specializes in puzzles, songs, and smart fun, which led to the creation of the Samantha Spinner series and 1-2-3- Scream.

Malik 16 (hip-hop program), VCBF alum and “Rapper-in-Residence” who has worked with the festival’s signature Hip-Hop in Children’s Literature program from its inception. He is the author of graphic novels, poetry, and picture books. 

The full schedule for the 11th annual Virginia Children’s Book Festival will be released later this summer.

What is the Virginia Children’s Book Festival?

The Virginia Children’s Book Festival is one of the premier literary events for young people on the East Coast. In 2023, it was honored with a Library of Congress Literacy Award for its work of implementing successful practices in literacy promotion. Each year, more than 10,000 children attend its signature three-day event, held in October at Longwood University in Farmville, where they attend interactive sessions with bestselling and award-winning authors and illustrators of books for young people. The Virginia Children’s Book Festival is free of charge.