Keynote Speakers at the 2018 National Institute #alsc18 #act4kids

We are so excited for the opening general session of the 2018 ALSC National Institute with award winning author and illustrator Grace Lin!

In addition to writing and illustrating fabulous books, Grace is an advocate for diversity and an inspiring speaker.  If you haven’t watched her excellent Tedx talk  “The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf,” go ahead and watch. We’ll wait.

Wasn’t that great? We can hardly wait to see, hear and meet Grace live and in person. Her new book, A Big Mooncake for Little Star, will be available in August from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers – just in time for the Institute.

After a good night’s sleep, you won’t want to miss this year’s Breakfast for Bill panel on Friday, September 28th. 

Author Margarita Engle and two of her illustrators, Raúl Colón and Mike Curato, will discuss the creative collaboration process. Engle and Colón worked together on Miguel’s Brave Knight; she collaborated with Curato to create the ALSC notable book All the Way to Havana.  Each of the three talented creators could entertain and enlighten us on their own, and we are eagerly waiting to see what magic will happen when they are all together. Sujei Lugo will be moderating the panel. Lugo is part of the wonderful team that runs the blog Latinxs in Kid Lit and will be presenting the program Review is Critical: Developing Decolonial Book Reviewing Competencies at the 2018 ALSC National Institute. Her vast knowledge of children’s literature combined with the experiences of the creators on the Breakfast for Bill panel is sure to make for a thought provoking discussion!

Make sure you stick around for the closing general session of the Institute with Brian Selznick and David Serlin.

Selznick is the Caldecott-Medal winning creator of the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret and the masterpieces Wonderstruck and The Marvels. Serlin is a writer, editor and historian at the University of California, San Diego. In February, Scholastic Press released their book Baby Monkey, Private Eye, which blends the formatting of graphic novels, picture books, and easy readers for a unique storytelling experience. Join us for a discussion that extends the focus on collaboration and perhaps might give us a peek at what the duo is working on next!

Have we piqued your interest? Early bird registration is now open for the National Institute!