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Youth Literature Festival Returns to Promote Reading, Multicultural Stories

by Orion Buckingham / Oct 1, 2024

A young child with a book. Youth Literature Festival logo.

The Youth Literature Festival returns to central Illinois and the University of Illinois campus for a three-day celebration of reading and literacy.

This week, the Youth Literature Festival returns to the Champaign-Urbana area, featuring 15 nationally-known authors in children's and young adult literature.

The Festival unfolds over three days, October 3-5. On Thursday and Friday the authors will travel throughout central Illinois, visiting over 40 classrooms and libraries, reading their books aloud, and connecting with teachers and students.

“The mission of this year's Youth Literature Festival remains the same as the inaugural event in 2008," said Nancy O'Brien, University Library professor and head of the Education, Health, and Social Sciences Libraries at U. of I. “It's designed to bring together families and community groups from throughout the area for one main goal: making literature and reading a central part of our lives. The Festival offers opportunities for young people to engage through hearing and being exposed to stories that speak to their own experiences."

Since its start, the Festival has hosted over 60 authors to the area, allowing nearly 20,000 students to meet popular authors and share their love of literature. The Youth Literature Festival celebrates reading and accessibility to books for everyone.

campus instructional facility

The Festival culminates on Saturday, October 5, with the free Community Day Celebration on the Illinois campus from 9:30 am. to 3 p.m. at the Campus Instructional Facility, 1405 W. Springfield Avenue in Urbana. This family-focused event features all 15 authors under one roof for storytelling and book signings throughout the day. Activities also include face painting, crafts, bilingual storytelling, puppet shows, and more. Food trucks will be parked outside for visitors to purchase food during lunch.

The group of authors attending the 2024 Festival includes nationally renowned and local authors and illustrators like Justin A. Reynolds, author of the Marvel graphic novel Miles Morales: Shock Waves, and Tameka Fryer Brown, who has been profiled by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, New York Public Library, Bank Street College, NPR, Parents Latina Magazine, The Little Free Library, and more.

Returning for the 2024 Festival is G. Neri, the Michael L. Printz and Coretta Scott King award-winning author of such books as Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty and Ghetto Cowboy, which was made into the movie Concrete Cowboy, starring Idris Elba.

The author lineup also features local authors Janice Harrington and Alice B. McGinty.

The Youth Literature Festival is proud to welcome authors whose stories celebrate perspectives from under-represented backgrounds and cultures. Their stories feature perspectives from Asian, Black, Mexican, Native American, and Palestinian cultures.

“Research shows a strong correlation between high literacy levels and educational and career success later in life," said Mackenzie Gillespie, Youth Literature Festival coordinator. “And creating excitement about reading at a young age is key to proficiency. There are several studies tying reading for enjoyment to improved mental health and confidence. The Festival's author lineup and Community Day Celebration are geared to help kids experience the joy and discovery found in books."

Author books will be for sale at Community Day, thanks to the Illini Union Bookstore.

Free weekend parking is available in Lot B1 at the corner of Springfield Ave. and Matthews and at the North Campus Parking Deck at the Corner of University and Goodwin Ave. Paid metered parking is available along Springfield Ave and at the Campus Center Public Parking Deck. The building is also accessible by MTD bus, which stops at Wright and Healey near the facility.

The Youth Literature Festival is an initiative of the Center for Education in Small Urban Communities within the College of Education at Illinois, in collaboration with the University Library. The Festival would not be possible without the generous support of individuals and corporate sponsors.

A complete list of this year's participating artists, a Community Day Celebration schedule, and more information are available online at go.illinois.edu/youthlitfest.