Gather the kids in your life and get them pumped up for Saturday, November 5 and the award-winning Rochester Children’s Book Festival (RCBF). There they can meet some of their favorite authors and illustrators, buy books and get them personally autographed, and “Adventure Into the World of Books!”
Now in its twenty-fifth year, RCBF is happy to be back in person after having to cancel the 2020 festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, they went virtual, but nothing beats the energy and excitement of kids interacting face-to-face with book creators. The RCBF codirectors Jim Chaize, Vicki Schultz, and Barbara Underhill are working hard to make this year’s fest one that families will flock to and remember, keeping up its Publishers Weekly reputation as the “Gold Standard” of children’s book festivals.
The first RCBF was held in 1997, the brainchild of awardwinning author Vivian Vande Velde (Squirrel on Stage). Her goal was to promote Rochester area kidlit authors and illustrators, childhood literacy, and Monroe County libraries. Since then, seven different Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators (RACWI) members have directed the event, which has grown from thirty guests to around fifty. Monroe Community College was the sponsoring location from 2004-2019, but because of the pandemic, they could not commit to hosting in 2022. Hence, a new location was found: Rochester Institute of Technology.
“One cool thing about the new venue at RIT is that we have access to an auditorium that seats nearly 500 people. We’re excited to have Tui Sutherland speaking there about her incredibly popular Wings of Fire series,” says Schultz, noting that in 2019 they quickly ran out of space to accommodate her fans.
RIT’s Inn & Conference center also gave the festival a great deal on rooms, so out-of-town authors and illustrators could come for the weekend. Additionally, RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, whose students have volunteered to be sign language interpreters at past fests, will again be able to offer their services. This year, they just have to walk across campus to do so and can show off their school.
Despite the new venue, the RCBF format will be similar to past years. Presentations, story times, and photo ops with authors and illustrators are all on deck. Books can be autographed and then bought through the sponsoring vendor, Lift Bridge Book Shop, which is a great opportunity for anyone seeking to purchase personalized holiday gifts. Any children who enjoy hands-on activities can make bookrelated crafts in Busy Bookworm Place.
Alumni authors are also ready to return, like Rochester’s own award-winning Linda Sue Park (A Single Shard). “Every year, when we start preparing for the RCBF, I think of the cities and towns all over the country that don’t have a book festival, and how fortunate we are to have one here,” says Park. “It’s a chance for authors and readers to meet one another. It’s a day for community, for family, for educators and students, and maybe most importantly, for kids to discover the joy of books. What’s not to love!?”
Forty-nine total authors and illustrators are expected this year. Some names to look for who cater to younger readers are Alyssa Capucilli (Biscuit), London Ladd (Frederick’s Journey), Raul the Third (Vamos!), Ellen Stoll Walsh (Mouse Paint), and Jane Yolen (How Do Dinosaurs Go To School?). Middle grade readers may enjoy meeting Bruce Coville (My Teacher is an Alien), James Howe (Bunnicula), Mark McElligott (Benjamin Franklinstein), and Kate Messner (History Smashers). Tweens and teens should look for Kalynn Bayron (This Poison Heart), Nikki Grimes (Ordinary Hazards), Kekla Magoon (How it Went Down), Alex Sanchez (You Brought Me the Ocean), and Leslie C. Youngblood (Love Like Sky).
“I’ve attended RCBF for fifteen years, as a mother of young readers, as a teacher, as a volunteer, and as an author,” says Keely Hutton (Soldier Boy). “For one amazing day each year, thousands gather in Rochester to celebrate the joy of children’s books. Generation gaps disappear as readers, young and young-at-heart, bond over their shared love of stories and storytelling. Creativity, inspiration, and hope are sparked in the hearts and minds of all who attend. Simply put, the RCBF is magic!”
“Adventure Into the World of Books” Where: RIT Student Alumni Union 1 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester Date: Saturday, November 5 Time: 10:00a.m.–4:00p.m.