It’s hard to believe, but the Brooklyn Book Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the event is introducing a special day just for kids! September 19 will be jam-packed with events for bookworms of all ages, featuring many of the authors and illustrators of your kids’ favorite books. But it’s not just about readings and meetings, the day (and week) will include workshops, performances, a singalong and more. Read on to learn more and see Children’s Day can’t-miss events!

photo: Brooklyn Book Festival

The BK Book Fest Basics
The Brooklyn Book Festival Children’s Day takes place on Saturday September 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with events held at downtown Brooklyn’s MetroTech Commons and NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering. (The adult stuff happens the next day on Sunday, the 20th.) The Fest features kids’ authors and illustrators of books for the tiniest of readers as well as the YA set. In addition to kids seeing and meeting their fave wordsmiths and artists in person, tons of kids’ booksellers will be on hand to help you freshen up the contents of your child’s bookshelf! All events unless otherwise noted are free and open to the public!

photo: Brooklyn Book Festival

Picture Books in Person!
The Picture Book Stage at MetroTech Commons will feature authors and illustrators reading from their work all day long, from 10:30 to 3:30. Check out Drew Daywalk of the boffo hit, The Day the Crayons Quit at 11 a.m.; Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri of Robo-Sauce at 2 p.m., and Edwidge Danticat with her Mama’s Nightingale at 3 p.m. See the full list of readings here.

photo: Brooklyn Book Festival

Illustrator Smackdown!
See popular children’s book illustrators go head to head in the live drawing competition “Illustrators in Action” at 3 p.m. at the NYU Auditorium at 5 MetroTech Commons. Participants include Kevin Sherry (Monsters on the Run), Diana Wege (A Day with Bone Fish Joe) and Frank Morrison (Little Melba and Her big Trombone).

Workshops with Worms and More
Workshops will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 4th floor of 5 MetroTech Center. At 11 a.m., kids ages 6 and up can turn a bookmark into a simple pop-up book with Esther K Smith, author of Making Books With Kids. Fans of Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals will want to hit a musical storytime event with Aardvarks creator and Music Class Today author David Weinstone at 1 p.m.

Do You Dig Worms?! author Kevin McCloskey will read, draw and hold a worm race to celebrate the creatures at 2 p.m. If you think your kids could use some financial literacy, too, head to Lemonade Sold Out with Candi Sparks at 2:30 p.m.

photo: Brooklyn Book Festival

For the YA Crowd
Kids of the smart and sensitive kind will probably enjoy events at the Young Readers Stage, also in the MetroTech Commons. “Where We Belong” will feature author of the best-selling Wonder R.J. Palacio and others discussing fitting in, standing out and the many places in between at 11 a.m.

At noon, chapter book authors including Jon Scieszka (Frank Einstein), Abby Hanlon (Dory Fantasmagory) and Lenore Look (Alvin Ho and Ruby Lu) will talk about creating  and naming their beloved characters.

If you’ve got a fan of best-selling books such as Olympians by George O’Connor, Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi, or Lauren Tarshis’ I Survived, head to “Greek Gods, Other Worlds and Natural Disasters” at 2 p.m., when these writers will discuss creating exciting worlds on the page and fans can pose their most pressing questions.

photo: Brooklyn Book Festival

Bonus Bookend Events for Kids!
Rather than just take over the weekend, the Brooklyn Book Festival is partying all week long with events all around the city, and kids can get in on the action, too.

On September 19 at 1:30 p.m. Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure author Nadja Spiegelman will host an event of the same name at the nearby New York Transit Museum. The presentation will include subway trivia, an art project and a live book reading. (Free with cost of admission; $7/adults, $5 kids ages 2-17.)

Joining celebrations and events staged around the world in honor of the 150th Anniversary of Alice in Wonderland, the Lewis Carroll Society of North America will present an interpretive reading by costumed actors of The Mad Tea Party. You can check it out on Saturday at the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza at 11 a.m. for free, or the Brooklyn Expo Center at 79 Franklin St. at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. for $10.

Brooklyn Book Festival Children’s Day
September 19
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Online: brooklynbookfestival.org

What book is your kid crazy for? Tell us in the comments below!

—Mimi O’Connor

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