Children’s literature discussion set at History Book Festival
The eighth annual History Book Festival will take place from Friday to Sunday, Sept. 27 to 29, in Lewes. Live events will feature 23 distinguished authors of historical nonfiction and fiction including Alice Faye Duncan, Janice N. Harrington and Jonathan Roth. As part of the children’s author panel discussion, all three will conduct free presentations of their books Saturday, Sept. 28.
Exploring how books inspire youngsters and what to look for when choosing children’s literature, the conversation will be of particular interest to parents, teachers and librarians.
Duncan will present “Coretta’s Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King,” which explores King’s contributions to the struggle for civil rights alongside her husband Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“I want adults and teens to discover that nonfiction picture books are not just kid stuff. Such books educate and amuse using lyrical texts that older readers find most enjoyable,” said Duncan. Having earned national board certification as a library media specialist, Duncan writes for young learners. Many of the 14 picture books she has authored received awards, including “Coretta’s Journey,” which was chosen as a 2023 Horn Book Fanfare Selection.
Harrington will present “Rooting for Plants: The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector.”
A trailblazing Black scientist, Parker made major contributions to the fields of botany (the study of plants) and mycology (the study of fungi). “I explore my own place in history through my biographies for children and my poetry.” “As a biographer for young readers, I try to recover the lives of overlooked or forgotten Black scientists. Finding my place in history means helping child readers discover the scientists and keen thinkers of America's past, and in doing so helping each reader discover new possibilities for what they can do themselves. They too can be botanists, biologists or entomologists.” “They can make discoveries or ask questions that no one has asked before,” said Harrington. An award-winning poet and children’s author, she teaches creative writing at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Roth will present “Almost Underwear: How a Piece of Cloth Traveled from Kitty Hawk to the Moon and Mars.”
“I hope the audience leaves our panel with a special appreciation for all the interesting things going on these days with creative nonfiction books for young readers. In the case of my book, they will learn how the Wright Brothers, the Apollo moon landing and the recent flight of a helicopter on Mars are literally connected by a thread – the thread of an old piece of cloth present for all three events,” said Roth. An author-illustrator, Roth lives in Rockville, Md., where he teaches elementary art.
Books can be purchased at each venue, or they may be bought in advance at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, the official bookseller of the History Book Festival, or at Biblion in Lewes. Authors will be available to personalize books after their presentations.
For more information on all presenting authors and their featured books, go to historybookfestival.org.
The History Book Festival is presented by Delaware Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty. Special thanks go to HBF’s Founding Program Partners for their continuing support: the Lewes Public Library for event promotion and production, and Browseabout Books.
