Children’s author Chris Barton joins us for two events in November and December! Kids are invited to a Junior Lit Chat to meet Chris and learn about his books. For adults, Chris teams up with Alton Yates, the subject of his book Moving Forward, to talk about how he came to write about our hometown hero – in the space where he did his research!
JOIN:
Junior Lit Chat with Chris Barton, Tuesday, November 29, from 4-5 pm. This event will take place live at the Highlands Library and is intended for kids ages 5-12. A book signing will follow, with books available for sale on site from Femme Fire Books. Click here to register.
Lit Chat Interview with Chris Barton and Alton Yates, Saturday, December 3, from 2-3 pm at the Main Library. Chris and Alton will be in conversation with local educator TiLena Robinson discussing Chris's book Moving Forward, a nonfiction children's book about Alton's roles in Space Age military experiments and in Jacksonville's 1960 civil rights sit-ins that culminated in Ax Handle Saturday. This event is intended for adult attendees. A book signing will follow, with books available for sale on site from Femme Fire Books. Click here to register.
Chris Barton is the author of picture books including bestseller Shark vs. Train, Fire Truck vs. Dragon, Sibert Honor-winning The Day-Glo Brothers, and Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions, which has been included on 21 state reading lists. His new books in 2021 and 2022 include How to Make a Book (About My Dog) and Moving Forward: From Space-Age Rides to Civil Rights Sit-Ins with Airman Alton Yates. Chris and his wife, YA/middle-grade novelist Jennifer Ziegler, live in Austin, Texas, and co-host the children’s literature video series “This One’s Dedicated to…”
Interviewer TiLena Robinson worked as a middle and high school social studies teacher with Duval County Public Schools for nine years before becoming a Secondary Social Studies Specialist with the school district in October 2015. She transitioned into her current role as a Regional Social Studies Specialist for high school in October 2021 and continues to work with administrators, teachers and students to carry out the vision and mission of Duval County Public Schools. She is a member of DCPS’s African American History Task Force and works to bring equity, inclusion, and diversity to education by working with teachers to implement the teaching of Africa and its’ peoples and the contributions of African Americans into high school social studies. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Reading, and a certification in Educational Leadership.
READ:
Chris’s books for children span topics from animals and vehicles to inventors to famous Jacksonville residents. Check out one of his many books from our catalog and learn something new!
CHRIS RECOMMENDS:
Recording your family's stories for StoryCorps. It was from an episode of their podcast that I first learned of Alton Yates, thanks to his recorded conversation with his daughter, Toni Yates.
The 104 sources I used for Moving Forward, including links to videos of Alton participating in experiments at Holloman Air Force Base in the 1950s.
My publisher's discussion and activity guide for Moving Forward.
"This One's Dedicated to...," a series of quick video chats with other children's book creators, which I host with my wife and fellow author, Jennifer Ziegler.
Speaking of My Favorite Author in the Whole Wide World, I highly recommend Jennifer's middle-grade novel, Worser, which The New York Times says is "Funny, clever and compassionate ... a brilliantly constructed account of a journey to self-knowledge".
