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

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.

• Presentation: 3:15 p.m.
• Signing: 2:15 – 3:00 p.m AND 3:45 – 4:00 p.m.

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.

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.

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.
  

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.

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.