What are your favorite children’s books?  From present day or years past!

This post isn’t brought to you by the Decatur Book Festival, which just highlighted it’s Children and Teen Program slate in a press release.  But it was inspired by it!

The ninth annual Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical (AJC DBF) will feature a wide range of children and teen’s programming, including designated Children and Teen’s Stages, the third annual Kidnote Address, two festival parades, and a special screening of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival winners.

Children and Teen’s Programming Manager, Diane Capriola — owner of Decatur bookstore Little Shop of Stories — coordinates the children and teen’s programming for the 2014 festival. “It’s so great to be back working on the children and teen’s line-up for DBF,” said Capriola. “This year’s schedule is as exciting and diverse as ever; we will truly have something for every young festivalgoer.”

This year’s Children’s Stage is packed with new and engaging programming. Participating authors and illustrators include: Tom Angleberger, Mac Barnett, Kimberly and James Dean, Angela DiTerlizzi, Tony DiTerlizzi, Jennifer Holm, Molly Idle, Mike Lane, Peter Lerangis, Eric Litwin, Loren Long, Jude Watson, William Wegman, and Deborah Wiles.

This year’s Teen Stage moves to the MARTA Plaza and features some of the best and brightest names in young adult fiction. Participating authors and illustrators include: Adele Griffin, Ellen Hopkins, Kazu Kibuishi, Lauren Myracle, Jandy Nelson, Stephanie Perkins, Andrew Smith, Maggie Stiefvater, and Len Vlahos.

This year’s Kidnote Address will be given by Jon Scieszka, author of the beloved children’s book, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. Scieszka brings his new, middle-grade chapter book, Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor, to Agnes Scott College’s Presser Hall on Friday, Aug. 29, at 5 p.m. for this Kidnote Address. No tickets are required, but the event is first come, first seated.

Festival parades will be held on Saturday and Sunday mornings during the weekend event. On Saturday at 9:30 a.m., Music in the Park ATL brings their mission — to experience live music by playing with professional musicians out in the real world — to the “Whistle Blowers Parade” orchestrated and led by Kebbi Williams. Kids of all ages are encouraged to bring whistles, kazoos, and other homemade instruments and join the first march to the Children’s Stage. On Sunday at 11:30 a.m., attendees are invited to dress up as their favorite character from The Wizard of Oz and once again march to the Children’s Stage, where actors from Serenbe Playhouse and puppets from Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts will perform a scene from the beloved story. Guests are invited to congregate on the south lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse (556 N. McDonough Street) for both parades.

AJC DBF is proud to host a special screening of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival winners at this year’s festival. This annual nationwide contest allows kid filmmakers to create movies retelling the plots of Newbery winning books in 90 seconds or less. The showing will be held at the Decatur Library Stage on Sunday, Aug. 31, at 3:45 p.m.

For more information about AJC DBF’s children and teen’s programming, visit these links:

https://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2014/activities/childrens.php

https://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2014/activities/teens.php

Little Shop of Stories,