Saturday, March 26, 2022
10:00 am - 5:00 pm Author Talks & Programs
Opening Remarks by Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds and City of Bethlehem's Director of Equity and Inclusion Janine Santoro.
Opening Keynote: Dorothy Wickenden, Executive Editor of the New Yorker
The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights
11:00 am - 4:00 pm Lehigh Valley Book Expo:
30+ booths with local authors, community organizations, music & poetry
12:00 pm - 3:30 pm Little Golden Story Book Room
Sponsored by A Storybook Party
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm Little Golden Books - LIVE
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Story Time Art for All with Imagination Creations by TMS
Author Talks
Authors will sign books directly following each panel discussion. Please note, only books purchased at the festival are eligible to be signed.
11:00 am Fiction for Adults – Genres We Read vs. Genres We Write
From psychological thrillers to addictive adventures to darkly comic tales of the near future – this panel has it all. But what inspires and motivates authors to turn their creative muse toward a particular genre? Discover the pleasures of writing – and reading – various genres.
Moderated by Joyce Hinnefeld, Stranger Here Below
Megan Angelo, Followers
Ethan Joella, A Little Hope
Kate Moretti, The Spires
Kate Racculia, Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts
12:00 pm Must-Read Middle Grade (concurrent)
What’s the recipe for a must-read middle-grade title? A dash of humor, a whisper of whimsy, a pinch of pathos, and a quart of creativity. Whatever the exact ingredients, these alchemist authors have figured out the formula to turn (pencil) lead into gold. In this session, they’ll share what’s in their secret sauce.
Moderated by Molly Magro, Eyer Middle School Librarian, EPSD
Donna Gephart - Abby, Tried & True
Paul Acampora, In Honor of Broken Things
Alison Green Myers - A Bird Will Soar
Matt Phelan, The Sheep, the Rooster & the Duck
Dianne Salerni, Jadie in Five Dimensions
Meera Trehan, The View from the Very Best House in Town
12:00 pm Debut Authors to Watch (concurrent)
Looking to expand your reading list? Find your new fave among the fresh faces in this debut author panel. The authors on this panel will share the challenges and triumphs of getting their first book published – giving us a front-row seat on their writing journey.
Moderated by Angie Rines, PR & Marketing Director, Easton Public Library
Carol Van Den Hende, Goodbye Orchid
Timothy Janovsky, Never Been Kissed
Lisa Roe, Welcome to the Neighborhood
1:00 pm Books We Use, Love, Showcase, and Teach (concurrent)
The best books can teach a lesson without moralizing and make us think without feeling like homework. In this session, authors will talk about how to explain, educate and enlighten without alienating young readers.
Moderated by: Melissa Kamyab, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Director of Graduate Education Department, Cedar Crest College
Donna Gephart, Go Be Wonderful
Katey Howes, Rissy No Kissies
Tara Lazar, Absurd Words
Gina Loveless, Puberty is Gross But Also Really Awesome
Deborah C. Mortimer, Zorah and the Very Big Question
Jess Rinker, Send a Girl!
1:00 pm Early Readers – Great Series to Devour (Early readers welcome!) (concurrent)
These series are more than just stepping stones into the world of chapter books. They’re also full of heart and hilarity. Meet the minds behind these fun titles – and introduce the young readers in your life to their works during this exciting panel.
Moderated by Jordan Sonnenblick, The Boy Who Failed Dodgeball (6/22)
Joe McGee, Junior Monster Scouts & Night Frights
Laura Brown, Trillium Sisters
Beth Ferry, Crab & Snail/Fox & Rabbit
Kevin McCloskey, Ants Don’t Wear Pants
Jonathan Stutzman, Fitz & Cleo/Llama Destroys the World
2:00 pm Picture Book Palooza! (concurrent)
A picture is worth a thousand words, but this panel of picture book authors is priceless. Find out what it takes to create a story that really resonates with young minds and what makes picture books different than other types of writing.
Moderator: Jonathan Stutzman, Llama Rocks the Cradle of Chaos
Beth Ferry, No Nibbling!
Tara Lazar, BLOOP
Deborah C. Mortimer, Zorah and the Very Big Question
Frank Murphy, A Teacher Like You
Lisa Papp, Madeline Finn & the Therapy Dog
2:00 pm YA/Teens – Everything but the… dragons? (concurrent)
The teenagers these five YA authors write about aren’t slaying dragons or casting spells, but the trials they face are just as monumental. After all, what’s scarier than growing up? And isn’t coming of age and figuring out your place in the world a kind of magic? In this fantastic – if not fantastical – discussion, we’ll talk about writing authentically about adolescence and tackling tough topics in a way that’s engaging for all ages.
Moderated by Theresa Hegel, executive editor, digital content, ASI
Jennifer Gilmore, If Only
Robin Gow, A Million Quiet Revolutions
Phil Stamper, Golden Boys
Jordan Sonnenblick, Falling Over Sideways
Devon Taylor, Dagger Hill
3:00 pm Non-Fiction – Conversation topics for your next cocktail party
After spending the better part of the last two years holed up at home, learning new skills (maybe mixology?) or just bingeing on The Bachelor, many of us are more than eager to rejoin the reopened world. Still, many uncertainties of the pandemic-era linger, among them the question: How do we even have a normal conversation anymore? Never fear. This engaging session will give you plenty of fodder to impress friends and wow strangers, as four nonfiction authors discuss their latest works – a journalist’s investigation into a baseball cheating scandal, a sociologist’s examination of what reality TV reveals about our culture, a whiskey expert’s guide to infused cocktails and a licensed psychotherapist’s guide to coping with anxiety.
Moderator: Rob Dougherty, former manager of the Clinton Bookstore
Andy Martino, Cheated: The Inside Story of the Astros Scandal
Danielle Lindemann, True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us
Kurt Maitland, The Infused Cocktail
Alison Seponara, The Anxiety Healer’s Guide
3:45 pm Poetry Interlude The One Woman Show, by Sydne Clarke
3:50 pm Closing Keynote Erin Entrada Kelly, in conversation
Newbery Medal & Honor Winner Erin Entrada Kelly, Those Kids From Fawn Creek, in conversation with Josh Berk, Bethlehem Library Director, and author of multiple books, most recently Camp Murderface - Doom in the Deep.
4:30 - 5:00 pm Author Signing
