The 21st annual Orange County Children’s Book Festival returns to Orange Coast College this fall with an exciting lineup of special guest authors spanning a broad genre of interests. Families are invited to gather at OCC to celebrate the love of books and the joy of reading. The free event will be held on Sunday, September 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Main Quad.
The 2024 guest authors include cartoonist and teacher Gene Luen Yang, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of middle-grade novels Jasmine Warga, Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Kadohata, and actress and producer Austin Highsmith Garces.
Best known as the author of the graphic novel “American Born Chinese,” Yang has a number of other comics, including Dark Horse Comics’ continuation of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and DC Comics’ “Superman.” His graphic novel “American Born Chinese” was ordered by Disney+ to be converted to a television adaptation in 2021. The show premiered on Disney+ in May 2023 to positive reviews.
Warga is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of middle-grade novels “Other Words For Home,” “The Shape of Thunder,” and “A Rover’s Story.” She is also the author of the young adult novel, “My Heart and Other Black Holes,” which has been translated into over twenty different languages. Her next middle-grade novel, “A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall,” will be published on September 10, 2024.
Kadohata is a children’s writer best known for her young adult novel “Kira Kira,” which won the Newbery Medal in 2005. Additionally, she is the author of the Pen USA Award-winner “Weedflower” and the National Book Award-winner “The Thing About Luck,” among other prize-winning works for children.
Best known for playing Phoebe in “Dolphin Tale 1 & 2,” Garces is a multihyphenate artist who published her children’s picture book, “The Miracle Tree,” which she authored, illustrated, and released in April 2019. She is adapting “The Miracle Tree” into a screenplay alongside Emmy winner Noam Dromi.
This year’s OC Children’s Book Festival will feature numerous activities such as storytelling, conversations with authors, book signings, face painting, train rides, a bounce house, and a surprise appearance of special guests from a faraway galaxy.
Admission and parking is free. All ages are welcome. For more information, please visit the Orange County Children’s Book Festival website. To view a gallery of last year’s photos, visit OCC’s Flickr.