We’re thrilled to announce the keynote speakers who will be joining us at Children’s Institute 2024 in New Orleans, LA! Meg Medina is the Library of Congress’ 2023–2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and the award-winning author of young adult novels and picture books including the Newbery Medal-winning book Merci Suárez Changes Gears. Brein Lopez is the general manager of Children’s Book World in LA, a Pannell Award-winning bookstore. He has been a bookseller for three decades and advocates for BIPOC, LGBTQIA2+, and Disability representation and inclusion in all aspects of the children's book industry. Renée Watson is a #1 New York Times-bestselling author. Her books include Piecing Me Together, which received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award, the Ryan Hart series, and acclaimed picture books like Maya’s Song and The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, written with Nikole Hannah-Jones. Cheryl Willis Hudson is an author, editor, publisher, and respected member of the children’s book community. She is co-founder of Just Us Books, publisher and packager of books that celebrate African American children, as well as co-author of Bright Eyes, Brown Skin. Kwame Mbalia is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Tristan Strong series and the publisher of Freedom Fire, an imprint of Disney Hyperion devoted to stories about the Black diaspora by Black creators. Bria Ragin is an Editor at Delacorte Press, where she works on middle grade and young adult fiction, and edits for Joy Revolution, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books co-founded by authors Nicola and David Yoon, focusing on commercial teen romances written by and about people of color. Britt J. Camacho (she/her) is ABA’s DEIA & Communications Senior Copy Editor, where she reviews content and language standards across the organization for diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. She believes that language is a means of freedom, and that stories help us build the future. Rex Ogle is the author of Free Lunch, which won the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award; Abuela, Don’t Forget Me, a finalist for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award; and Punching Bag, a NYPL Best Book of the Year. Mark Oshiro is the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning Latinx queer author of Anger Is a Gift, Each of Us a Desert, and Into the Light, as well as several middle-grade books and co-author (with Rick Riordan) of The Sun and the Star. Kai Burner (he/they) has been a proud member of the book industry since 2016. He is currently the Assistant Manager and Children’s/Gift Buyer at the Bookworm of Edwards, serves on ABA’s Bookseller Advisory Council and Children’s Council, and is a board member of their local pride organization, Mountain Pride. Haven’t registered for Children’s Institute yet? Head over to BookWeb to save your spot. |
