Or, more formally, “A Comprehensive List of U.S. College- and University-Sponsored or -Hosted Children’s and Young Adult Literature Conferences, Festivals, and Symposia.” (All of them that I could find, anyway).
Several years ago, I was looking for such a list, wondered why I couldn’t find one, and decided to just go ahead and make one myself.
Since then, I’ve periodically updated and reposted it, and I plan to continue doing so. If I’ve missed any, or included some that no longer exist, won’t you please let me know in the comments section?
Arizona
University of Arizona Tucson Festival of Books
California
University of Redlands Charlotte S. Huck Children’s Literature Festival

This is me, and these are some of my books. Get info on my school visits.
Colorado
Metropolitan State University of Denver and University of Colorado at Denver Colorado Teen Literature Conference
Connecticut
University of Connecticut Connecticut Children’s Book Fair
Georgia
Kennesaw State University Conference on Literature for Children and Young Adults
The University of Georgia Conference on Children’s Literature
Hawaii
Chaminade University of Honolulu Conference on Literature and Hawai’i’s Children
Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Youth Literature Festival
Indiana
Anderson University Elizabeth York Children’s Literature Collection & Festival
Kansas
Kansas State University Conference of Children’s Literature in English, Education, and Library Science
Asbury University Children’s Literature Conference
Thomas More University Ohio Kentucky Indiana Children’s Literature Conference
Maryland
Frostburg State University Spring Festival of Children’s Literature
Salisbury University Children’s and Young Adult Literature Festival
Massachusetts
Framingham State University Swiacki Children’s Literature Festival
Simmons College Children’s Literature Summer Institute
Minnesota
University of Minnesota Kerlan Award Ceremony and Chase Lecture
University of St. Thomas Hubbs Children’s Literature Conference
Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival
Missouri
Missouri State University Children’s Literature Festival of the Ozarks
Truman State University Children’s Literature Festival
University of Central Missouri Children’s Literature Festival

Coming from me in February 2020: All of a Sudden and Forever: Help and Healing After the Oklahoma City Bombing (Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing)
Concordia University Plum Creek Children’s Literacy Festival
Nevada
University of Nevada, Las Vegas Gayle A. Zeiter Young Adult and Children’s Literature Conference
University of Nevada, Reno Reading Week Reimagined
New Jersey
Montclair State University New Jersey Council of Teachers of English Spring Conference
Rutgers University One-on-One Plus Conference
New York
Bank Street College of Education BookFest @ Bank Street
The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York The Color of Children’s Literature Conference
Monroe Community College Rochester Children’s Book Festival (thanks to librarian Karen Wilson for the suggestion!)
Nazareth College Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival
The State University of New York at Potsdam Journey Into Literacy
Stony Brook University – Southampton Southampton Children’s Literature Conference
Ohio
Bowling Green State University Literacy in the Park
Kent State University Virginia Hamilton Conference
The University of Findlay Mazza Museum Fall Weekend Conference and Summer Conference
Youngstown State University English Festival

My most recent picture book: What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster)
Community College of Philadelphia African American Children’s Book Fair
Kutztown University Children’s Literature Conference
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Children’s Literature Conference
Tennessee
Middle Tennessee State University Southeastern Young Adult Book Festival
Texas
Texas A&M University – Commerce Bill Martin Jr. Symposium
Utah
Brigham Young University Symposium on Books for Young Readers
Utah Valley University For the Love of Reading Conference
Virginia
The College of William and Mary Joy of Literacy and Literature Conference
Hollins University Francelia Butler Conference
Longwood University Summer Literacy Institute and Virginia Children’s Book Festival
Shenandoah University Children’s Literature Conference
Washington
University of Washington 2020 Children’s Literature Association Conference (ChLA 2020)
Western Washington University Children’s Literature Conference
Leave A Comment