Save the Date: A Preview of the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival

Good storytelling is an art. Some people just know how to captivate attention and weave an unforgettable tale. Some brands and companies are likewise good storytellers. Among those are groups like Disney, DC Comics, Highlights Magazine, Scholastic, Penguin Young Readers, and the Library of Congress.

And indeed all of these groups have sponsored the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival – a wonderful event celebrating Latinx voices in childrens’ books – kid lit, as it’s often known. At DSB, we’re big fans of kid lit, of course. You can expect some great storytelling at this year’s Festival.

This month-long virtual event is a big deal! So parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, and bibliophiles – mark your calendars for the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival (LKBF) this September and October. The entire thing is streamed live, so you can enjoy all the great content from home.

Gathering to tell stories is an integral, time-honored tradition everywhere in the world. And thanks to the internet, we will gather from all over the world to listen and learn to superb story telling at the 5th Annual LKBF.

The Events: When & Where

“Festival Fridays” are each of the Fridays of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th through October 15th), and the events for this year can be found on the 2024 Festival Schedule. Sign up for their newsletter to find out more and to get reminders ahead of the event.

You’ll want to check in on that schedule page closer to September because more events will be announced there, culminating in the big two-day event in mid-October. Things kick off with the first Festival Friday on September 20th.

All events are streamed live on YouTube, so you can participate from wherever you are. More information on how to participate can be found on the website. Some events are more participatory than others. For example, some sessions ask viewers to send in questions ahead of time, although it’s not required.

The Festival: What & Why

Begun during the pandemic lockdown in 2020, the Festival built on its original success as a virtual event. It is now in its fifth year. LKBF is a project of the group Las Musas, “a collective of Latinx women and otherwise marginalized people whose gender identity aligns with femininity, writing and/or illustrating in traditional children’s literature.” They have a vibrant mentoring program and an incredible Latinx Kidlit Resources page that’s worth a deep dive.

While the content is Latinx-oriented, the Festival is intended to connect people of all backgrounds and identities in celebration of books and Hispanic contributions to kidlit specifically.

Want to know more?

At the Festival’s YouTube channel, you can get an idea of what kind of content was featured in past years. They have playlists from each of the four preceding years. Below are just a handful of the virtual sessions sampled from past years:

Ten Things I Wish I Knew About Marketing My Book
LKBF Jeopardy!
Exploring Identity and Self Esteem in Latinx YA Novels
Craft Workshop: Based on True Story
Picture Books in the Age of Activism
Hijas Más Chingonas: Stories of Young Women Doing Powerful Things
Illustrator Draw-Off en español: La Hora Del Susto
Concert for Kids: 123 Andrés
Arcoíris: Queer Latinx Storytelling
For Educators: Designing a unit on language, identity and community – an intensive workshop

As you can see from these selections, there are sessions for different audiences, including families, classrooms, librarians, publishers, and authors, whether published or not.

Teachers will be able to safely stream and live-chat with authors and other participants, and an education advisory council ensures that there is plenty of content perfect for the classroom. The content is well organized and specific, so you can tune in to the panels and workshops that are of most interest. Across the Festival, there will be sessions relevant to young children and other events geared towards older kids and teens.

Why We Think You’ll Love It

At Diverse STEM Books, our goal is to help readers locate books with more inclusive content. Another important priority is lifting up voices of authors and creators of color and those from other marginalized groups.

The mission of the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival dovetails perfectly: “to foster a love of story and literacy as well as increase empathy and conversation among educators, students, and book lovers while uplifting the voices of Latinx kidlit book creators.” While most of the content is not necessarily STEM-themed, you’re sure to find inclusive content with Latinx representation, including some bilingual content.

Other reasons to join:

The sessions are fun and interactive. There are craft sessions to go with some of the books. It’s equal parts education and celebration, with games, concerts, and even “Would You Rather?” Panel discussions have Q&A sessions.
You’ll connect with others with similar interests. The entire Festival is community-building in nature. Re-energize your love for reading and for diverse books by taking in the enthusiasm of creators and kids who love the content they create.
It’s an opportunity to hear from notable authors and other leading voices of the inclusive books movement. Publishers participate, so aspiring authors, keep your ears open. There will be lots of relevant content for writers as well as consumers of diverse kidlit.
Many sessions are geared specifically for teachers and students. Classrooms can participate through secure links and get engaged in books with live author appearances, activities for kids, and more.
You’ll come away with great ideas for what to read next with the children in your life. And probably a book wishlist for your own library for years to come.

We know that if you’re a DSB reader, you enjoy an opportunity to celebrate books and reading, so tune in, whether to enjoy a simple story hour, a classroom sing-a-long, a workshop with award-winning authors, or a bilingual session on multicultural content. Stay posted to the website, YouTube channel, and newsletter for announcements of sessions as they are finalized.

DSB will be tuning in too come September and October. Hope to “see” you there!

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Bonus Content

Just Released — A beautiful picture book sampler that you can download. The material goes along with a session on picture books from April 2024 that’s available on the Festival’s YouTube channel. The Picture Book Fiesta event moderated by Carla España is brought to viewers by Penguin School & Library as well as the LKBF and features the work of authors Maria Dolores Águila (Barrio Rising), Cynthia Harmony (A Flicker of Hope), Natalia Sylvester (A Maleta Fill of Treasures), and Isabel Quintero (Mamá’s Panza).

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