BooksNJ 2015: Full Schedule

1:00pm EDT

Writing for the Test: Has common core influenced writing?

Moderators

Tracey Baptiste was born in Trinidad where she grew up on jumbie stories and fairy tales, and decided to be a writer at the wise old age of three. It took a few more years to get her first publishing contract though. Her debut, a Young Adult novel titled Angel’s Grace (Simon & Schuster... Read More →

Linda Bozzo

Linda Bozzo is an award-winning author of more than 50 nonfiction books for the school and library markets. Her fiction stories and articles have been published in many children’s magazines. Linda is a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She enjoys... Read More →

Alison Ashley Formento

lison Ashley Formento is the author of award-winning nature picture books This Tree Counts!,This Tree, 1, 2, 3, These Bees Count!, These Seas Count!, and These Rocks Count!. Her debut young adult novel Twigs published by Merit Press/F+W Media was featured in Publisher's Weekly as... Read More →

Sunday June 14, 2015 1:00pm - 1:40pm EDT
CHILDREN'S

CHILDREN'S

2:20pm EDT

Waking Up the Past: Blending history and fiction for children

Speakers

Selene Castrovilla

Selene Castrovilla is an award-winning teen and children’s author. Melt, her third teen novel, has been hailed as "A fresh, emotionally complex bildungsroman of young American love" by Kirkus. Her historical nonfiction children's books are known for their humanity. Revolutionary... Read More →

Mary H. Donohue

Widow of Naval Officer of WWII who served in both Atlantic and Pacific. Mother of eight; grandmother of 17 and great-grandmother of 9. BA and MA from Fairleigh Dickinson Univ, almost completed PhD in Spanish Lit at NYU. Completely bi-lingual, Spanish and English. Taught at Paramus... Read More →

Todd McClimans

I am an elementary school principal and a former fifth grade teacher. I've always been a fantasy nerd (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Narnia), but I didn't care much about history until I started teaching the American Revolution to my first fifth graders. I fell in love with the... Read More →

Robert Skead

obert Skead is the author of several popular children's books. For Patriots, Redcoats & Spies, Robert partnered with his father, also Robert Skead (now 89-years-old). Both are members of the Sons of the American Revolution. Their ancestor, Lamberton Clark, one of the main characters... Read More →

Sunday June 14, 2015 2:20pm - 3:00pm EDT
CHILDREN'S

CHILDREN'S

3:20pm EDT

Peeking Inside a Picture Book: A view into successful children's publishing

Moderators

Sharon Kalman

Speakers

Alison Ashley Formento

Anna Kang

Husband-and-wife team Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of You Are (Not) Small, which won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award and was named a Notable Children’s Book by the American Library Association. Their follow-up book, That’s (Not) Mine, will be published by Two... Read More →

Carol Roth

Carol Roth was born in New York City. She is a former kindergarten teacher and has had eleven children's books published, the most recent being Ten Little Ducklings Go To Bed. Some of her other fun-filled books include Who Will Tuck Me In Tonight? - a Children’s Choice book for... Read More →

Joyce Wan

Joyce Wan is the author and illustrator of many popular board books, including You Are My Cupcake and We Belong Together. She is also the illustrator of Sandra J. Howett's Sleepyheads. Joyce lives in New York City. Through all her work, she hopes to inspire people to embrace the spirit... Read More →

Sunday June 14, 2015 3:20pm - 4:00pm EDT
CHILDREN'S

CHILDREN'S

4:20pm EDT

Books in Bloom: Keeping kids reading, from picture books to YA

Moderators

A.J. Colucci

A.J. Colucci is an author of books, including mysteries, crime fiction, and science thrillers. Her latest novel by MacMillan, SEEDERS, was described by #1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston as “Gripping and brilliantly original.” Her debut novel THE COLONY was given... Read More →

Speakers

Beth Ferry

Beth Ferry reads, writes and lives by the beach in central New Jersey. Her debut picture book, STICK AND STONE, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld was released in April 2015 by HMH. She is also the author of the picture books, LAND SHARK (Chronicle), swimming into print this August and... Read More →

Sandy Hall

Sandy Hall is a teen librarian from New Jersey where she was born and raised. She has a BA in Communication and a Master of Library and Information Science from Rutgers University. A Little Something Different is her first novel. When she isn't writing or teen librarian-ing, she enjoys... Read More →

Wendy Mass

Wendy Mass is the New York Times bestselling author of The Candymakers, along with fifteen other novels for young readers. They include A Mango-Shaped Space, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (which was made into a feature film), 11 Birthdays, which was the first book in the bestselling... Read More →

Nancy Viau

Nancy Viau (Mullica Hill, NJ) is the author of three picture books: CITY STREET BEAT, LOOK WHAT I CAN DO! and STORM SONG. Her middle-grade novel, SAMANTHA HANSEN HAS ROCKS IN HER HEAD, was published in 2008. Viau’s stories, poems, and activities appear in Highlights, Highlights... Read More →

Sunday June 14, 2015 4:20pm - 5:00pm EDT
CHILDREN'S

CHILDREN'S

BooksNJ 2015

1:00pm EDT

Claire Santoro

Tracey Baptiste

Linda Bozzo

Alison Ashley Formento

2:20pm EDT

Selene Castrovilla

Mary H. Donohue

Todd McClimans

Robert Skead

3:20pm EDT

Sharon Kalman

Alison Ashley Formento

Anna Kang

Carol Roth

Joyce Wan

4:20pm EDT

A.J. Colucci

Beth Ferry

Sandy Hall

Wendy Mass

Nancy Viau

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