PEN America and the Austin Public Library Foundation present all-star authors Joanna Ho (Eyes that Kiss in the Corners) and Caroline Kusin Pritchard (The Keeper of Stories) as they launch The Day the Books Disappeared, illustrated by Dan Santat. This is a timely story about a boy who is delighted to discover that he can make all the books in his classroom vanish…. only to realize he has created a complete disaster! Can Arnold figure out how to bring the books back before it’s too late?
Joanna and Caroline will be in conversation with award-winning author Liz Garton Scanlon, a member of Authors Against Book Bans, and Dr. Frank Strong, co-director of Texas Freedom to Read Project.
Please join us in this lively panel discussion geared towards adults that spotlights Joanna and Caroline’s new book, celebrates the importance of reading freely, and explores ways to fight back against book banning.
Book sale provided by Reverie Books.
Participants
Joanna Ho is passionate about anti-bias/anti-racism, equity and inclusion in books and education. She has a Master’s in Educational Leadership from UC Berkeley and has worn many hats in education including: English teacher, dean, and a teacher professional development mastermind. She is currently the vice principal of a high school in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Caroline Kusin Pritchard is the author of many books for children including Gitty and Kvetch, The Day the Books Disappeared, and The Keeper of Stories, which is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and received three starred reviews. She also co-hosts the Kidlit Happy Hour podcast alongside author Joanna Ho. Caroline has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in northern Virginia with her husband and their four kiddos.
Liz Garton Scanlon is the author of numerous beloved books for young people, including the highly-acclaimed, Caldecott-honored picture book, All the World, two middle grade novels, and the Bibsy Cross chapter book series. Liz speaks and teaches across the country, and lives and writes in AusFn, Texas.
Frank Strong is a parent, writer, and English teacher in Austin, Texas. He is the co-director of Texas Freedom to Read Project and does this work for his students, for his love of literature, and so that his daughter can have what he got from his Texas schools growing up: teachers and school libraries that opened up worlds for him that he’s still exploring today.