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# Jax Book Fest Featured Author
When Shannon Messenger decided to try writing a book, she focused on middle grade because "that was the time period in my life when reading had been the most special to me." But, she says, her "BIG IDEA" was a much more complicated story than she'd ever planned to write.
After years of world building and writing (and revising), Simon & Schuster offered to buy it. Keeper of the Lost Cities launched into the world in Fall of 2012, becoming a New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller. New books in the series have been coming out every year since then, with a total of nine novels (and two novellas) and a planned tenth book (to be announced).
Meet Shannon Messenger
Our featured author will talk with local teens about her upper-middle grade fantasy series from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (during Jax Book Fest) on Saturday, September 20, at Main Library. A book signing will follow the interview, with books available for purchase on-site from Happy Medium Books Café. Please note: A limited number of copies of Keeper of the Lost Cities: Graphic Novel Part 1: Volume 1 and Unraveled Book 9.5 will be given to teens in attendance (while supplies last).
Pre-register for this program See all upcoming
Please note: This program is recommended for teens, ages 12-18, but open to all. To save your seat, please pre-register with your Jacksonville Public Library card. If you do not have one, adult residents can apply online (in as little as two minutes), or you can apply in-person at your local library. If you are unable to pre-register, walk-ins are welcome on the day (as long as there are seats remaining). There is no registration required for Jax Book Fest or the author book signing.
# About the Author
Shannon Messenger graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she learned—among other things—that she liked watching movies much better than making them. She’s studied art, screenwriting, and film production, but she realized her real passion was writing stories for children. She’s the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the award-winning middle grade series, Keeper of the Lost Cities, as well as the Sky Fall series for young adults. Her books have been featured on multiple state reading lists, published in numerous countries, and translated into many different languages. She lives in Southern California with her family—and an embarrassing number of cats.
Find her online at shannonmessenger.com and on Instagram, X, and Facebook at @sw_messenger.
Check out this author's books from your library.
Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a telepath–someone who can read minds. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain. Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy who appears out of nowhere, and who can also read minds like her. She discovers there’s somewhere she does belong, and that staying with her family will put her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye. Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.
A graphic novel adaptation to Keeper, adapted by Celina Frenn and illustrated by Gabriella Chianello, was released on November 7, 2023, covering half of the first book. Part 2, illustrated by Valeria Tenaga Romanazzi, will cover the remainder of the novel and is set to release on December 2, 2025. On April 18, 2024, it was announced that Warner Bros. had landed the rights to the Keeper of the Lost Cities adaptation, with Messenger serving as executive producer.
Reminder: Reading any book by a Lit Chat author in 2025 counts toward your Jax Stacks Reading Challenge completion. Find out what authors we're hosting and join in on the fun!
Jax Book Fest 2025: September 13 & 20
Held annually at the Main Library in downtown Jacksonville, Jax Book Fest is our biggest, boldest celebration of authors, authorship, and the written word. It's also a great opportunity for Jax readers to find and support local authors.
This year, the event takes place over two Saturdays, starting with Jax Book Fest: Writer's Day from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on September 13. That first weekend will focus on workshops for local writers; the second Saturday will be devoted to young readers and connecting them with books they'll love. If you've got kids and teens who love books and want to know more about the people who make them: Join us at Jax Book Fest: Youth Readers' Day from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 20.
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