Junior Lit Chat

March 27 - April 1 is Celebrate Reading Week in Jacksonville! As an adult who loves reading, you already know the power of stories! You also know how important it is for everyone, but especially for children, to see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read. Books can be mirrors for a child wondering where they fit in. They can also be windows, giving them a look at the lives of others. When we all have the power to tell our own stories, in our own voices, that's really something special.

Patricia J. Murphy is an award-winning children's author and a passionate literacy advocate who believes in giving children the tools they need to capture their big ideas and share them with the world.

Sticky feet that climb anything. Trunk-like robotic arms. Super-sensitive hearing. What is this? Some kind of new superhero? No! These are all examples of REAL technology made with bionics/biomimicry. In this fun and interactive presentation by children’s science author Jennifer Swanson, you will get an inside look at many awesome inventions being created by engineers right now! Be one of the first 30 children at the event and receive a FREE copy of Beastly Bionics to keep!

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!

Matt de la Peña is a New York Times bestselling and Newbery Award-winning author for youth, and he joins us at the library for two days in September to talk to kids and teens about his books and writing! Check out our two events with him below and register now to reserve your seat, and a book!