9:00 AM ET | Booths Open 9:30 - 10:00 AM ET | Early Bird Session 1: Debut Author Spotlight Claribel A. Ortega, Ghost Squad (Scholastic) Janae Marks, From the Desk of Zoe Washington (HarperCollins) Moderator: Kimberly Fakih, Senior Editor, SLJ 10:00 - 10:40 AM ET | Early Bird Session 2: Super Heroics Paul Greci, Follow the River (Move Books) K.A. Holt, BenBee and the Teacher Griefer (Chronicle) Kate Karyus Quinn & Demitria Lunetta, Anti/Hero (DC) Moderator: Kiera Parrott, Reviews Director, SLJ 10:40 - 11:00 AM ET | Break 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM ET | Morning Keynote with Andrea Davis Pinkney Andrea Davis Pinkney, Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It (Little Brown) 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM ET | Panel 1: Family Ties Cyn Bermudez, The "Brothers" series (Rosen) Ally Carter, Winterbourne Home for Vengeance and Virtue (HMH) Leigh Dragoon, Little Witches: Magic in Concord (Oni) J.M.M. Nuanez, Birdie and Me (Penguin) Amanda Strong, Four Faces of the Moon (Annick) Moderator: Ashleigh Williams, Middle Grade Editor, SLJ 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM ET | Panel 2: Funny Books Jessica Kim, Stand Up, Yumi Chung! (Penguin) Yehudi Mercado, Fun Fun Fun World (Oni) Jason Platt, Middle School Misadventures: Operation: Hat Heist! (Little, Brown) Chad Sell, Doodleville (Random) Moderator: Mahnaz Dar, Graphic Novel Editor, SLJ 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET | Lunch Keynote with Renée Watson Renée Watson, Ways to Make Sunshine (Bloomsbury) Moderator: Ashleigh Williams, Middle Grade Editor, SLJ 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM ET | Break 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM ET | Panel 3: Fantasy, Folklore, and Reimagined Stories Alane Adams, The Eye of Zeus (SparkPress) Rena Barron, Maya and the Rising Dark (HMH) Scott Reintgen, Escaping Ordinary (Random) Christina Soontornvat, A Wish in the Dark (Candlewick) J. Torres, Lola: A Ghost Story (Oni) Moderator: Anja Webb, Assistant Editor, SLJ 2:45 PM - 3:15 PM ET | Fast Learning Session: Awesome Programs for Middle Graders Ellene Cudd, Children's Librarian, Abilene Public Library, TX: Fandom Escape Rooms Jenn Medved, MLIS, Campus Librarian, Milwaukee Area Technical College Oak Creek Campus Library: DREAM in STEAM: Hosting a Career Exploration Convention for Tweens and Teens Moderator: Ashleigh Williams, Middle Grade Editor, SLJ
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM ET | Panel 4: Friends and Friendship Stories Kat Leyh, Snapdragon (Macmillan) Gina Loveless, The Friend Thief (Andrews McMeel) Zanib Mian, Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet (Penguin) Laura Shovan & Saadia Faruqi, A Place at the Table (HMH) Beth Vrabel, The Newspaper Club (Running Press) Moderator: Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM ET | Closing Keynote with Linda Sue Park Linda Sue Park, Prairie Lotus (HMH) Moderator: Vanessa Willoughby, Associate Editor, Nonfiction, SLJ |