Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024

The Anderson Center at Tower View is pleased to present the 25th annual Minnesota Children's Book Festival on Saturday, September 14, 2024, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., featuring presentations of eight new books by award-winning authors and illustrators writing for young readers through middle grade. Taking place at the Anderson Center’s beautiful, historic Tower View campus, the Children's Book Festival is an ideal opportunity for families to connect, learn and play.

Throughout the afternoon, each author or illustrator presents their work, reads from their book, and participates in a meet & greet and book signing booth. Taking place outdoors, the event also features hands-on activities that engage the mind, body, and imagination. With balloons, facepainting, art-making, kid-friendly food trucks, and more, there's something to delight the inner child in all of us. This event is FREE and all ages are welcome!

Red Balloon Bookshop is the official bookseller of the 2024 Minnesota Children's Book Festival.

2024 event Schedules

Presentation
Schedule

11:10 a.m.
David LaRochelle

11:45 a.m.
John Coy

12:20 p.m.
Ty Chapman

12:55 p.m.
Kao Kalia Yang

1:30 p.m.
Kurtis Scaletta

2:05 p.m.
Chris Park

2:40 p.m.
Heather Murphy Capps

3:15 p.m.
Liz Heinecke

Book Signing Schedule

11:20 a.m. AND 1:00 p.m.
John Coy

11:20 a.m. AND 1:10 p.m.
Ty Chapman

noon
David LaRochelle

noon AND 1:30 p.m.
Kao Kalia Yang

1:05 AND 2:05 p.m.
Kurtis Scaletta

1:45 AND 2:40 p.m.
Chris Park

2:00 AND 3:15 p.m.
Heather Murphy Capps

2:15 AND 3:45 p.m.
Liz Heinecke

2024 Featured Book Titles

Cover of Stokes: The Brief Career of the NBA's First Black Superstar with a headshot of co-author Ty Chapman

Ty Chapman

Stokes (Lerner 2024) tells the story of the NBA’s first Black superstar, Maurice Stokes, who is not as well known as he should be in part because of a career-ending injury.

Coauthors and basketball enthusiasts John Coy and Ty Chapman highlight what a standout Stokes was: he was 6’7” and as they write, “nobody had ever seen a guy his size score, defend, rebound, dribble, and pass so well.” Recommended for grades 2 – 5.

  • Presentation: 12:20 p.m.
  • Signing: 11:20 - noon AND  1:10 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

"Stokes" releases October 1, 2024

    Covers of the Books "Stokes" and "The Secret of Fall", headshot of author John Coy

    John Coy

      Coy is the co-author (along with Ty Chapman) of Stokes and the author of The Secret of Fall (Sleeping Bear Press, 2024). Fall has a magic, a secret, all its own. It offers a kaleidoscope of textures, smells, and colors. But what's behind those glorious colors we see among the treetops and upon the leaf-covered ground? Are leaves more than what they seem? Through engaging text and charming artwork, young readers are invited to explore how and why leaves change color. And perhaps, after fall's secret is revealed, we learn something about ourselves and our own distinct beauty. Recommended for kids ages 5 – 8.

      • Presentation: 11:45 a.m.
      • Signing: 11:20 - 11:40 a.m. AND 1:00 - 1:20 p.m.
      Buy From Red Balloon Bookshop
      Image

      Liz Heinecke

        Women have been involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) for thousands of years. While many have faced obstacles because of their gender, things are changing for the better, and today there are more women than ever working in these disciplines.
         
        Author Liz Heinecke examines the moments that inspired successful women to pursue STEM fields, delving into their adventures and struggles, and exploring their interests outside of science and engineering. She Can STEM (Quarry Books, 2024) gives kids a rare glimpse into the fascinating personalities behind the lab coats. Recommended for kids ages 7 – 12.
        • Presentation: 3:15 p.m.
        • Signing: 2:15 – 3:00 p.m AND 3:45 – 4:00 p.m.
        Buy From Red Balloon Bookshop
        Image

        Heather Murphy Capps

          The Rule of Three (Carolrhoda Books, 2024) focuses on Wyatt, a seventh-grader with a three-part Plan for Life. It starts now with tryouts for his local travel baseball team. A biracial kid in a mostly white town, he’s always felt like a bit of an outsider. The baseball field is the only place where he feels like he truly belongs. If he can just make the team, everything else will fall into place.

          But after upsetting incidents at tryouts, something inexplicable happens: wisps of smoke form around Wyatt. As Wyatt tries to figure out what’s causing this mysterious smoke and how to control it, he discovers it’s connected to a painful family history. The more he learns, the more Wyatt begins to question the rules he’s always followed to fit in. With tensions rising at school and on the field, can he face the injustices of the past while keeping his cool in the present? Recommended for kids ages 11 – 14.

          • Presentation: 2:40 p.m.
          • Signing: 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. AND 3:15 - 3:45 p.m.
          Buy From Red Balloon Bookshop
          Image

          Chris Park

            In Touch the Sky (Carolrhoda Books, 2024), Vern longs to be one of the kids who swoop until their toes touch the sky. He heads to the swings and desperately tries to pump his legs, but he just can't get it. A chance encounter with precocious (and hilarious) Gretchen gives him just what he needs to know, and he finally learns to soar.

            Chris Park's colorful and dynamic illustrations bring to life a story for every child on the cusp of learning something new who just needs an extra push to get there. Recommended for kids ages 5 – 9.

            • Presentation: 2:05 p.m.
            • Signing: 1:45 - 2:00 p.m. AND 2:40 - 3:00 p.m.
            Buy From Red Balloon Bookshop
            Cover details of the books "Mr. Fox's Game of No" and "Go and Get with Rex", plus a headhot of LaRochelle.

            David LArOCHELLE

            Mr Fox's Game of No (Candlewick, 2024) by David LaRochelle is a fun interactive book for kids and their adults. Can you beat Mr. Fox at his Game of No? The rules are simple: every time he asks a question, you must respond with “NO.” If you accidentally say “YES,” then it’s back to the beginning of the book for you, where you must start all over again. Are you ready? (Oops!) Do you live on planet Earth? What does Y-E-S spell? (Argh!) Kids will giggle uncontrollably as they gamely aim to avoid Mr. Fox’s clever traps—but just ask them if they’d like to read this book again, and they won’t be able to resist: “YES!” Recommended for kids ages 3 – 7.

            In Go and Get with Rex, Jack, Jill, and Rex are excited to play a game of Go and Get! The rules are simple: on the count of three, each player must go and get something that begins with a certain letter. While Jack’s and Jill’s picks always fit the bill (What starts with F? Frog! Fish!), Rex keeps getting it wrong (a duck?)—or does he? David LaRochelle shares a laugh-out-loud primer on subverting expectations that will have readers clamoring to play Go and Get themselves—and competing to see who can come up with the most creative answers.

            • Presentation: 11:10 a.m.
            • Signing: noon - 1:00 p.m.
              Buy "Mr. Fox's Game of No" From Red Balloon Bookshop
              Buy "Go and Get with Rex" From Red Balloon Bookshop
              Cover of the Book "Granny Rex" and a headshot of Kurtis Scaletta

              Kurtis Scaletta

                In Granny Rex (Abrams books for young readers, 2023), a tiny bird discovers her inner dinosaur and learns to roar in this sweet story about remembering where you came from.

                When little Dee is harassed by the neighborhood hawk, Mama tells her that her 20-million-times great-great-great-grandmother was an enormous dinosaur named Granny Rex and that Granny Rex still lives in Dee’s feathers and bones. It’s true: Not only did birds descend from dinosaurs, but they are related to the Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the mightiest dinosaurs of all! “Never forget,” says Mama to her little bird, “that you are a dinosaur.” Recommended for kids ages 4 – 8.

                • Presentation: 1:30 p.m.
                • Signing: 1:05 - 1:25 p.m. AND  2:05 - 2:30 p.m.
                Buy From Red Balloon Bookshop
                Headshot of author Kao Kalia Yang with three book cover images

                Kao Kalia Yang

                  In a trio of new books for young and middle grade readers, award-winning author Kao Kalia Yang continues to tell stories of her family and Hmong-American experiences. The Rock in my Throat (Carolrhoda Books, 2024) is a moving, autobiographical story. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts at speaking English, she no longer speaks at school. Kalia feels as though a rock has become lodged in her throat, and it grows heavier each day. Although the narrative is somber, it is also infused with moments of beauty, love, and hope. Recommended for kids ages 5 – 10. 

                  Caged (Kokila 2024) is a poignant picture book about a young Hmong girl born and raised in a refugee camp who imagines what lies beyond the bounds of its borders. Most days, she spends her time playing with her cousins and pretending they can fly above the clouds and far away from here. When her family’s papers are finally approved, she’s uncertain if she’s ready to leave everything—and everyone—she’s ever known behind. But on the day she leaves, her favorite aunt, Golden Flower, sees her off with the words: "Your wings have arrived." Recommended for kids ages 4 – 8. 

                  In The Diamond Explorer (Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2024) we first meet Malcolm, a youngest child of Hmong refugees, as an elementary school kid through the eyes of the adults in his life—his parents and siblings, but also the white teachers at his Minnesota schools. As middle school begins, we encounter Malcolm in his own words, and suddenly we see that this "quiet, slow Hmong boy" is anything but. Malcolm is a gifted collector of his family's stories and tireless seeker of his own place within an evolving Hmong American culture, and his journey toward becoming a shaman like his grandparents before him is inspiring and revelatory. Recommended for kids ages 10 – 13. 

                  • Presentation: 12:55 p.m.
                  • Signing: noon - 12:45 p.m. AND 1:30 - 1:45 p.m.

                  Buy From Red Balloon Bookshop

                  The 2024 Minnesota Children’s Book Festival is generously sponsored by Associated Bank, First State Bank of Red Wing, First Farmers & Merchants Bank, Lerner Publishing Group, Merchants Bank, Munson Electric, Red Wing Noontime Kiwanis, Ripley's Rental & Sales, and Sturdiwheat.

                  Logos for the Clean Water, Land, & Legacy Amendment and the Minnesota State Arts Board       

                  This event is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

                  Collage of logos for Associated Bank, Munson Electric, Sturdiwheat, Lerner Foundation, Merchants Bank, First Farmers & Merchants Bank, First State Bank of Red Wing, Ripley's Rental, Red Wing Noontime Kiwanis