JULY

7/9-10: NerdCampMI and NerdCamp Junior, Western High School, Parma, Michigan
Check out some of this year’s faculty here.

Day 1, Session 1: Coast to Coast Reading with #BookExpedition (Room 106)

Long distance reading groups for educators are popping up on social media, but how do they work? Join three author/educators who are members of the group #BookExpedition for a practical look at forming, running, and maintaining a coast-to-coast reading circle. With middle grade authors Brooks Benjamin (My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights), Mike Grosso (I Am Drums), and Laura Shovan (The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, Takedown).

Day 1, Session 2: Breaking Down Stereotypes and Stigmas One Book at a Time (Room 106)

 Fiction gives students the voice and agency to discuss and think through societal assumptions. Battling Stereotypes and Stigmas One Book at a Time is an interactive panel about specific ways books can be used in the classroom to break down stereotypes and ensure that every student’s voice is heard and honored. Middle grade authors Elly Swartz (Finding Perfect, Smart Cookie), Laura Shovan (The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, Takedown), and Karina Glaser (The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden) will lead the conversation.

7/13, 6:30 PM: Being a Good Sport: A Discussion with Authors Hena Khan, Laura Shovan, and J. H. Diehl
Hooray for Books, Alexandria, VA
Check out the event page here.

7/22, 5-6 pm: International Literacy Association Conference
Austin, Texas
Panel Discussion, “A Sense of Place: Middle-grade Novels on Loss and Connection,” Austin Convention Center, 08AB Theater. With educator Ruth Freeman (One Good Thing about America), and middle grade authors Janet Johnson (The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society), Laura Shovan (The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary), and Tricia Springstubb (What Happened on Fox Street, Every Single Second). Author signing information to come.

AUGUST

8/18, 2 pm: Bullet Journaling for Authors
Severna Park Community Library, Severna Park, MD

Back by popular demand! First draft finished, but struggling to stay on track with revisions? Heard about bullet journaling, but a little overwhelmed? Come learn how to use bullet journal techniques to help organize your revision notebook. Laura Shovan, author of The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary and Takedown (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House), will share different methods she has used to organize her revisions and give you the tools to set up your own revision journal for your work in progress.  This is a FREE hands-on workshop.  Please bring a notebook and pens/pencils/markers. Be ready to brainstorm!

SEPTEMBER

9/4, 7 pm: Wilde Readings Literary Reading and Open Mic Series
Columbia Art Center, Columbia, MD
Featured authors TBA

9/22, 10 am – 4 pm: Princeton Children’s Book Festival
Hinds Plaza, Princeton, NJ
Find a full list of authors here.

OCTOBER

10/9, 7 pm: Wilde Readings Literary Reading and Open Mic Series
Columbia Art Center, Columbia, MD
Featured authors TBA

10/11-12: 34th Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth
Laura will receive the Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for New Voices, Honor Award
Conference Information

10/22: Marriotts Ridge High School Writers Guild
Marriottsville, MD
Presentation with middle grade author Jean Diehl (Tiny Infinities)

NOVEMBER

11/13, 7 pm: Wilde Readings Literary Reading and Open Mic Series
Columbia Art Center, Columbia, MD
Featured authors TBA

11/17: NCTE Conference
Session details coming soon.

Are you ready to wrestle? Takedown is available now!