Join children’s book creators Ty Chapman, John Coy, and Chris Park for a tour through the magic of picture book collaboration! You’ll see how Ty and John worked together to write the new picture book biography Stokes: The Brief Career of the NBA’s First Black Superstar, and how Chris illustrated John’s story So Cold!, which makes its public debut at the Twin Cities Book Festival. Don’t be surprised to hear about another book Chris illustrated, Touch the Sky, another book that Ty wrote, James Finds the Beat, and another one that John wrote, The Secret of Fall—all of which have also been published this year! Click here to share the event.

Ty Chapman is the author of several children’s books, including Sarah Rising, and the recent poetry collection Tartarus; with Ari Tison he edited the poetry anthology All Power to the People (another collaboration!). He was recently named a Cave Canem fellow and holds an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Visit him at tychapman.org.

John Coy is the author of numerous books for children, from littles to teens. He has received many honors for his work, including a Marion Vannett Ridgway Award for best debut picture book, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor, the Burr/Warzalla Award for Distinguished Achievement in Children’s Literature, and the Kerlan Award. John lives by the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Visit him at johncoy.com.

Chris Park co-authored and illustrated his debut picture book, Little Sock, and its sequel, Little Sock Makes a Friend. He lives in Minnesota and loves spending time being a goofy dad with his two boys, skateboarding around the neighborhood during the day, and going for peaceful walks in the middle of the night. Visit him at chrisdpark.com.

Join authors Heather Murphy Capps, Erin Soderberg Downing, and Pete Hautman as they discuss themes of resilience and overcoming obstacles in their latest middle-grade novels. Through the journeys of their young protagonists—a kid who doesn’t fit in at school learning to stand up for himself with the help of his dog, a daughter going on a challenging hiking trip with her mom to heal after family upheaval, and a young baseball player navigating racial tensions on and off the field—these books reveal the courage it takes to confront personal, family, and social challenges and rise above them. Click here to share the event.

Heather Murphy Capps is an award-winning author of middle-grade books about history, social justice, science, and magic. As a biracial parent and an education equity activist, Heather is passionate about creating diversity in publishing. Her critically acclaimed debut novel Indigo and Ida made Booklist’s 2023 “Top 10 First Novels for Youth,” and was a finalist in the Jane Addams 2024 Children’s Book Awards; her latest book, The Rule of Three, is headed for similar acclaim, with a starred review in School Library Journal saying, “This book belongs in all middle school libraries.” A native Minnesotan, Heather now lives in Virginia. Visit her at heathermurphycapps.com.

Erin Soderberg Downing has written more than 50 books for kids, tweens, and young adults, including several popular series for young readers: The Great Peach Experiment, Puppy Pirates, and The Quirks. Her bestselling middle grade novel Controlled Burn, a 2023 Northeastern Minnesota Book Award winner, is now joined by another heartfelt tale of family adventure, Just Keep Walking.  Erin loves reading, swimming, exploring the woods, traveling with her family, and walking around Minneapolis lakes with her fluffy and mischievous dogs, Wally and Nutmeg. Visit her at erinsoderberg.com.

Pete Hautman is the author of many books for young adults and adults, including the National Book Award–winning Godless, the Klaatu Diskos trilogy, Otherwood, winner of an Edgar Award, and Eden West. His just released book Answers to Dog, will have animal lovers cheering as it explores a friendship like no other and offers a realistic look at rural life, even as it sometimes tells its story from a dog’s perspective. Pete divides his time between Wisconsin and Minnesota. Visit him at petehautman.com.

Laurie Hertzel is a former Books Editor at the Star Tribune, a past president of the National Book Critics Circle, and author of the Minnesota Book Award-winning memoir News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist. In 2023, she was awarded the Kerlan Award in recognition of exceptional support of the field of children’s literature. She is currently a freelance book critic and teaches in the University of Georgia low residency MFA program. 

This year’s TCBF keynote features award-winning author Kao Kalia Yang discussing her banner year of not one, not two, not three, but FOUR new books in 2024, each of which offers a unique exploration of family, community, and the Hmong American experience. With books for young, middle grade, and adult readers in the mix, Yang’s profound storytelling is sure to resonate with festivalgoers of all ages. Join us for a riveting talk with one of Minnesota’s most cherished authors! Click here to share the event.

Kao Kalia Yang, a Hmong American writer, broke onto the literary scene with her 2005 memoir The Latehomecomer. Since then, her work has earned numerous honors, including a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship, an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and four Minnesota Book Awards. Yang lives in Minnesota with her family and teaches and speaks across the nation. Yang’s four books released in 2024 are The Diamond Explorer, her first middle grade novel; Where Rivers Part, a memoir of her mother; and two picture books, Caged and The Rock in My Throat. Visit her at kaokaliayang.com.

Join four amazing Minnesota authors as they present their new novels for middle grade readers! Juliana Brandt and Nina Hamza will keep you on the edge of your seat with gripping stories, one a horror tale about an abandoned manor, the other a whodunit about a TP’d house. Abby Cooper and Alison McGhee bring heartfelt tales of growing up that highlight the challenges and rewards of childhood, weaving in themes of friendship, loss, and navigating difficult emotions. Don’t miss this lineup of thrilling and thought-provoking novels. (Ages 8 and up)  Click here to share the event.

Juliana Brandt is an author and kindergarten teacher with a passion for storytelling that guides her in both of her jobs. She lives in her home state of Minnesota, and her writing is heavily influenced by travels around the country and a decade living in the south. When not working, she is usually exploring the great outdoors. Her middle grade novels include The Wolf of Cape Fen, A Wilder Magic, Monsters in the Mist, and her newest, Exit Nowhere. Visit her at julianabrandt.com.

Abby Cooper lives in Minnesota with her husband, son, and miniature poodle. A former teacher and school librarian, her favorite things in the world (besides writing) are getting and giving book recommendations and sharing her love of reading with others. Before her latest book, True Colors, she published three other middle grade novels: Friend or Fiction, Sticks & Stones (a Minnesota Book Award finalist), and Bubbles. Visit her at abbycooperauthor.com.

Nina Hamza is a writer and physician who lives in Minnesota but grew up in South India and Saudi Arabia; she struggles with math, calculating time zones, and parking. She is the author of the acclaimed debut Ahmed Aziz's Epic Year and now Samira’s (Worst) Best Summer. Her favorite part of being a writer has been meeting kids who learned something from her books that she hadn't even intended.  Visit her at ninhamza.com.

Alison McGhee writes books for all ages in all forms, from novels to poems to picture books to memoir. Her most popular books include the novel Shadow Baby, a Today Show Book Club pick and Pulitzer Prize nominee; the Geisel Award winner Bink and Gollie (co-written with Kate DiCamillo); and the #1 New York Times bestselling picture book Someday. Her work has been translated into more than 20 languages and has won many fellowships and awards, and she has taught creative writing at Metropolitan State University, Vermont College, and Hamline University’s MFA program. Visit her at alisonmcghee.com.

YA readers, join us for this year's Young Adult Showcase, where four terrific authors will present their latest books for teens! You’ll hear about Dead Girls Talking, Megan Cooley Peterson's true-crime-inspired thriller; Freeman Ng’s Bridge Across the Sky, a historical novel-in-verse that follows a Chinese teen immigrating to the U.S. a hundred years ago; Chloe Spencer's Haunting Melody, a paranormal mystery-romance with themes of mental health and PTSD; and Anton Treuer’s Where Wolves Don’t Die, which follows a young Ojibwe boy as he grapples with identity, family loyalty, and longing for home. Click here to share the event.

Freeman Ng is a former Google software engineer who is now a full-time writer. Though he lived most of his life a twenty-minute ferry ride from Angel Island and his father entered the country through a process similar to the one described in Bridge Across the Sky (except through Seattle), he never thought about the station and its history until he heard about the poems on the walls—then he knew he had to write about them, and that this story had to be told in verse. Visit him at authorfreeman.com.

Megan Cooley Peterson is an author, editor, and coffee drinker. As a teenager, Megan was part of a cult-like doomsday church that didn’t like to be questioned, but she questioned anyway. She has written numerous nonfiction books for children on a wide variety of topics, including dinosaurs, sharks, urban legends, and haunted objects. She is also the author of two young adult thrillers, The Liar’s Daughter and now Dead Girls Talking. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and daughter. Visit her at megancooleypeterson.com.

Chloe Spencer is an award winning writer, indie game developer, and filmmaker. She is the author of two previous novels, Monstersona and Duality, and many shorter works of fiction. In her spare time she enjoys playing video games, trying her best at Pilates, and cuddling with her cats. She holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Oregon and an MFA in Film and Television from SCAD Atlanta. Visit her at chloespenceronline.com.

Dr. Anton Treuer (pronounced troy-er) is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and the renowned author of many books. His professional work in education, history, and Indigenous studies and long service as an officiant at Ojibwe tribal ceremonies have made him a consummate storyteller in the Ojibwe cultural tradition and a well-known public speaker. In 2018, he was named Guardian of Culture and Lifeways and recipient of the Pathfinder Award by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums. Anton Treuer’s s first book for young adults, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition), won the SCBWI Golden Kite. Where Wolves Don’t Die is his first novel. Visit him at antontreuer.com.

Join graphic novelists Özge Samanci and Christi Furnas as they discuss their new books, which draw on personal experience to create compelling works that resonate as well as educate. In Evil Eyes Sea, Samanci tells a story of political intrigue and corruption in 1990s Turkey through the eyes of two students. Meanwhile, Christi Furnas’s Crazy Like a Fox: Adventures in Schizophrenia chronicles the complexities of navigating life with invisible struggles with a fantastical cast of animal characters. Don’t miss this engaging conversation on the power of the graphic novel format to tell stories that resonate on both intimate and universal levels. (Ages teen and up)  Click here to share the event.  Moderated by Olivia Fredricks.

Christi Furnas is a queer cartoonist, illustrator, oil painter, and disability rights advocate. She has exhibited in galleries across Minnesota and in New York City, and her career includes over ten years of arts administration, teaching art workshops, and numerous speaking engagements. She lives with her partner in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Crazy Like a Fox: Adventures in Schizophrenia is her debut graphic novel.  Visit her at christifurnas.com.

Özge Samanci is a media artist, graphic novelist, and Associate Professor at Northwestern University. She received her Ph.D. in Digital Media from Georgia Institute of Technology; in 2017, she received the Berlin Prize, and was the Holtzbrinck Visual Arts Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin. Visit her at ozgesamanci.com.

Olivia Fredricks is a printmaker and illustrator who makes zines, comics, prints, and other narrative-based works. Her work has been shown in numerous group shows around the country, and is in collections such as the Library of Congress, the Barnard College Zine Library, and the Special Collections of Michigan State University, Temple University, and Reed College Libraries. She is currently a visiting associate professor of Drawing and Printmaking at the University of Minnesota.