Children's Institute 2021 Program

Charged or difficult conversations are unavoidable. Sometimes an owner or manager listens to an employee deliver a hard message; other times, the roles are reversed. This workshop, led by Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker and Dr. Lauren Wadsworth, founders of Twin Star Intersectional Diversity Trainers and authors of Did That Just Happen?! Beyond Diversity — Creating Sustainable and Inclusive Organizations (Beacon Press), focuses on race, other identities, and the power dynamics that exist in hierarchical organizational structures and teaches owners, managers, and booksellers how to listen during a challenging conversation, respond in a manner that validates the speaker’s experience, and proceed from a place of compassionate resolution. During the workshop, participants will work together in mixed groups, role-play situations, and be called upon to share. Sharing is voluntary. During the registration process, please let us know if you would not like to be called upon to share with the group or volunteer for role-playing. Register for the workshop here.

Stop by the Expo area of the Hopin platform on Monday, August 30, to learn about the featured BIPOC owned/focused small presses.

Indies Introduce is all about what independent booksellers do best: Discovering exciting debut authors and sharing the best with readers across the country. You will hear about the title selection process from the bookseller panelists who curated the Summer/Fall 2021 Kids’ Indies Introduce list, and the debut authors will read a short passage and answer a question posed by one of the panelists. *This is a rebroadcast of the program that was originally presented at Edelweiss Bookfest on June 9.

Gather with friends in Kumospace to celebrate the opening of Children's Institute. Kumospace is a fun and new way to engage with friends in a virtual space (it looks a little like The Legend of Zelda!). Attendees are encouraged to wear a t-shirt from another bookstore — we may not be able to be together, but that doesn't mean we can't show our love for each other! Learn more about Kumospace in Ci9’s FAQ section.

Ci9 registration is not required to attend. This is a meetup for BIPOC — Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — bookseller and bookstore owners to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking. This meetup will be hosted by another attendee and ABA staff will not be in attendance. Booksellers interested in attending should use the sign-up form at the bottom of the ABA Meetups page to join the BIPOC Meetups mailing list.

IndieCommerce and IndieLite are ABA’s full-featured content management and e-commerce systems for marketing events and author appearances as well as selling books and other merchandise. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce and IndieLite are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team during Children’s Institute. Attendees may schedule an appointment by filling out the form here.

Need a break between sessions? Hang out at The Lounge with your fellow Children's Institute attendees. Everyone is welcome to drop by and chat with their colleagues.

Bestselling authors, Nicola and David Yoon, share the inspiration behind their imprint Joy Revolution. The imprint is a celebration of love stories written by people of color about people of color, with its first titles being published in fall 2022.

A panel of marketing and publicity personnel from an array of publishing houses will share how indies can maximize their visibility to publishers to be the leaders in events as the industry moves toward a hybrid model. Questions for the panelists can be submitted ahead of time so that the panel can directly address specific topics related to hybrid events and independent bookstores.

Each Rep Picks room will have publishers presenting their top picks from upcoming seasons. Publisher reps will be available in the chat to answer questions throughout their presentations. Booksellers will be assigned Rep Picks rooms, which will appear in the “Sessions” area of the Hopin platform a few minutes before the session starts. Rep Picks title packets will be available for download prior to the event.

Enjoy a storytime interlude with Max Greenfield, as he reads from his upcoming release I Don't Want to Read This Book (G.P Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers). Storytime is a reprieve from a busy day and a time to recall the joy and comfort we all experience when someone reads to us.

Need a break between sessions? Hang out at The Lounge with your fellow Children's Institute attendees. Everyone is welcome to drop by and chat with their colleagues.

During this hour, booksellers will delight in hearing from their favorite authors as they parade through the virtual space. Be sure to attend the Closing Reception in Kumospace, where you can chat “face to face” with these authors!

If you missed the live keynote session today (or if you want to enjoy it again), then join us for the evening broadcast of the morning conversation. Although this is not a live event, the chat will be open so you can connect with colleagues and attendees.

IndieCommerce and IndieLite are ABA’s full-featured content management and e-commerce systems for marketing events and author appearances as well as selling books and other merchandise. Both users and non-users of IndieCommerce and IndieLite are invited to schedule one-on-one time with a program specialist from the IndieCommerce team during Children’s Institute. Attendees may schedule an appointment by filling out the form here.

Need a break between sessions? Hang out at The Lounge with your fellow Children's Institute attendees. Everyone is welcome to drop by and chat with their colleagues.

Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime conversation between bestselling authors Hanif Abdurraqib (Random House), Tiffany D. Jackson (Katherine Tegen Books), and Jason Reynolds (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books), moderated by Tami Charles (Scholastic Press). During this keynote, the bestselling authors will discuss the intersection of music and books, representation, and the powerful impact on a young Black person when their experiences and belief system are mirrored by the words of Black artists.

Kristen McLean, Director of Business Development at NPD Group, will present a review of the most recent data on the U.S. children’s book market with a deep-dive into the latest trends in genres, formats, buyer behavior, and more. Attendees will emerge with plenty of new insights to help them better understand their business in the coming year.

Enjoy a storytime interlude with Kate DiCamillo, as she reads from her newest middle grade novel The Beatryce Prophecy (Candlewick Press). Storytime is a reprieve from a busy day and a time to recall the joy and comfort we all experience when someone reads to us.

During this hour, booksellers will delight in hearing from their favorite authors as they parade through the virtual space. Be sure to attend the Closing Reception in Kumospace, where you can chat “face to face” with these authors!

Need a break between sessions? Hang out at The Lounge with your fellow Children's Institute attendees. Everyone is welcome to drop by and chat with their colleagues.

Enjoy a storytime interlude with Ziggy and Orly Marley, as they read from their picture book Little John Crow (Akashic Books). Storytime is a reprieve from a busy day and a time to recall the joy and comfort we all experience when someone reads to us.

If you missed the live keynote session today (or if you want to enjoy it again), then join us for the evening broadcast of the morning conversation. Although this is not a live event, the chat will be open so you can connect with colleagues and attendees.

All Children’s Institute attendees are invited to gather once again in Kumospace for the Ci9 closing reception. Join your colleagues in this virtual space to mix and mingle, and keep an eye out for your favorite authors from the Author Parade! Grab a beverage and a snack and join us!

Ci9 registration is not required to attend. This is a meetup for LGBTQIA+ booksellers and bookstore owners to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking. This meetup will be hosted by another attendee and ABA staff will not be in attendance. Booksellers interested in attending should use the sign-up form at the bottom of the ABA Meetups page to join the LGBTQIA+ Meetups mailing list.