The AJC Decatur Book Festival

It's back and it's incredible. Look who's coming for kids! These are big names, people. These are rock star authors. The students who went last year loved the fact that they could name-drop when I promoted the books: "Oh, I heard her talk at the Decatur Book Festival. She was hilarious." "Oh, he signed my book. He's so cool." Go. Check out the schedule here.

Anna Dewdney. Llama Llama Red Pajama. We have five year olds AND teenagers who adore the picture book about the little llama who can't settle down to sleep.





Liz Kessler. The Tail of Emily Windsnap. Beloved by our middle and upper elementary girls, this story of a girl who takes swimming lessons and discovers a terrible, wonderful secret about herself is enchanting.




Ridley Pearson. Peter and the Starcatchers. Regularly makes children's top ten favorites of all time lists, this prequel to Peter Pan bounces with humor and adventure. One of the most perfect read-aloud stories ever.




Michael Buckley. The Sisters Grimm. The wildly popular series is never on the shelf for long. These present-day girls must rescue their grandmother and others from characters from fairy tales gone amok in upstate New York. Another great read aloud for middle elementary children.


Jeanne Birdsall. The Penderwicks. Old-fashioned storytelling at the highest level; an instant classic, national award winner and beloved tale of adventure. Girls especially sigh and gasp when I present it as a reading choice.




Ingrid Law. Savvy. Like the other members of her family, Mibs Beaumont will soon learn of her magical gift, her "savvy," on her thirteenth birthday; some of the gifts have proven to be very tricky and surprising. What kind of changes did you experience as you approached 13? I have a waiting list for this book.



Vicky Alvear Shecter. Alexander the Great Rocks the World, and her upcoming biography of Cleopatra. Vicky will be visiting our school again in the spring. Her research is scrupulous, her tone is irreverent and she makes these historical figures suddenly popular with the middle and upper elementary students.



Send me photos of your kids at the Festival!