Love reading and talking about teen books? Then come discuss the newest books in teen fiction with other teens from around the metro area and learn about ways to get your reviews and opinions out there in the world.
In this virtual event, participants have their choice of workshops and panels to attend. The day ends with a panel of YA authors talking about their writing and publishing experiences.
All teen attendees who reside in Kansas or Missouri will be shipped an attendee gift box of goodies. If you are temporarily living outside the area but are a user of one of our partner libraries, please contact us for your box.
Every attendee, regardless of residence, is eligible to win gift cards and books through our prize drawings! All you need do is attend!
Kaite Mediatore Stover holds Masters degrees in Library Science and English Literature from Emporia State University. Stover served on the Penguin Random House Library Advisory Board and is a founding member and former Steering Committee member for LibraryReads. She reviews fiction, audiobooks, and professional reading for Booklist and reviewed nonfiction for IndiePicks magazine.
Heather is a Youth Information Specialist at Johnson County Library. She has been on Bookstagram for a year now (before that her Instagram was mostly cute dogs and Pokemon Go). At home Heather loves working on her YA novels, bullet journaling, and playing with her two Boston Terriers. Her favorite genre is fantasy + romance and her favorite book is Carry On. She is currently reading the Shadowhunters series and listening to the Hamilton soundtrack on repeat.
Samantha is the Youth and Family Engagement Librarian at the North-East Branch of the Kansas City Public Library. Her favorite thing about being a librarian is getting paid to talk about anime, comics and video games like it’s her job or something. Samantha has a background in Illustration and received a drawing degree from MU in 2015. Samantha’s debut graphic novel will be released Fall 2021. Samantha enjoys horror stories, eating chips, and spending time with her family.
When she isn’t librarianing Alison S. hosts The Goth Librarian Podcast, which covers true crime, haunted places, medical oddities, and obscure aspects of history. She is also the audio editor for the Generation Why podcast, and a researcher/writer for true crime podcasts Murderish and The Minds of Madness podcasts. Aside from her #podlife her hobbies include dyeing her hair wild colors, watching horror films, and daydreaming about Victorian London. A New York native, Alison lives in the KC area with her two cats surrounded by spooky décor year-round.
Angela Yuriko Smith is an American poet, publisher, and author. Her first collection of poetry, In Favor of Pain, was nominated for a 2017 Elgin Award. Her novella, Bitter Suites, is a 2018 Bram Stoker Awards® Finalist. In 2019 she won the SFPA's poetry contest in the dwarf form category. She has been nominated for a 2020 Pushcart Prize for poetry. She co-publishes Space and Time magazine, a 54-year-old publication dedicated to fantasy, horror, and science fiction. For more information visit SpaceandTime.net or AngelaYSmith.com.