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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 2, 2025

Contact:  Martha Swan, Executive Director

518-744-7112

mswan12993@gmail.com

CELEBRATING THE JOY OF READING AND THE FREEDOM TO READ

Adirondack Family Book Festival Turns Four

(Westport, NY) — The Adirondack Family Book Festival (AFBF) returns to the John Brown Farm State Historic Site on August 16, 2025, with sixteen rock stars of children’s and Young Adult (YA)
literature.

Now in its fourth year, AFBF is a cherished community event presented by John Brown Lives! (JBL!), numerous community partners, an amazing volunteer team and the staff at the John Brown Farm.
Free and open to all, the daylong event is made possible with generous support from local sponsors, foundation funders, the Office of Assemblyman Billy Jones and the New York State Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation.

“We are excited to reveal this year’s roster of acclaimed and beloved authors and illustrators at the start of Read Across America Week, March 2-6,” said Martha Swan, JBL! Executive Director. “The
National Education Association (NEA) launched Read Across America in 1998 to celebrate reading. Our goals of promoting the joy of reading and celebrating the freedom to read diverse and powerful
stories that reflect the fullness of history and culture are aligned with this popular nationwide program.”

New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner, one of the festival founders, agrees, adding, “What I love most about the Adirondack Family Book Festival is the team’s commitment to inclusion and representation. It’s an event where authors from all backgrounds know they’ll be welcomed by kind, enthusiastic readers who are excited to see themselves in stories and build empathy as they explore the stories of people whose lives are different from theirs.

Messner will be joined by fellow North Country authors Maxwell Eaton III, Amy Guglielmo, Linda Marshall and Loree Griffin Burns. The 2025 roster also features Tracey Baptiste, Kyle Lukoff,
Meg Medina, Traci Sorell, Eliot Schrefer, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney, Andrea Wang, Jason Chin and Saadia Faruqi.

“Stories are the threads that have always connected us as humans, and I’m especially grateful for them now,” Messner said. 
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For author bios and a festival schedule, go to https://adirondackfamilybookfestival.com/

To listen to authors from the 2023 and 2024 festivals talk about their craft, go to
https://www.freedomstoryproject.org/adirondack-family-book-festival

To learn more about Read Across America resources and activities, go to
https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america

Contact John Brown Lives! at info@johnbrownlives.org or 518-744-7112 about joining the AFBF planning committee or becoming a business sponsorship or individual contributor in support of the festival.

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2024!

February 14, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Martha Swan, Exec. Director
mswan12993@gmail.com
518-744-7112

ADIRONDACK FAMILY BOOK FESTIVAL BOASTS STELLAR LINEUP, RECEIVES AWARD OF DISTINCTION

(Westport, NY) — The Adirondack Family Book Festival (AFBF) returns to the John Brown Farm State Historic Site on August 17, 2024, with a stellar lineup of award-winning children’s and YA authors and illustrators again this year. 

Now in its third year, the Adirondack Family Book Festival is a cherished community event, presented by John Brown Lives! (JBL!) and numerous community partners, that cultivates an expansive sense of belonging and safety, of well-being, connectedness, and the joy of reading. In the unhurried natural setting of the John Brown Farm, readers of all ages hear from and mingle with beloved authors and artists.

The festival has also garnered statewide recognition by the Museum Association of New York (MANY) for engaging the community and building new audiences.

“We are thrilled to once again be a part of this wonderful community event. The list of authors is diverse and very impressive,” said Bambi Pedu, Director of Lake Placid Public Library. “I am looking forward to hearing their stories.”

Local author Kate Messner is also thrilled with this year’s lineup, noting that the festival “already has a reputation among authors and illustrators, thanks to our organizing team’s care and enthusiasm and Lake Placid’s warm summer welcome.”

Excited to have five new titles for this year’s events, Messner will be joined by fellow North Country authors Maxwell Eaton III, Amy Guglielmo, and Loree Griffin Burns. They will be joined by authors and illustrators from all over the country, including New York Times bestsellers, prestigious award winners, and family favorites.

The 2024 roster also features Jason Chin, Brian Floca, Meredith Ireland, Rajani LaRocca, Kelly Starling Lyons, Kekla Magoon, Kayla Miller, Sharee Miller, Raúl The Third, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Lauren Tarshis, and Jasmine Warga.

For author bios and a festival schedule, go to https://adirondackfamilybookfestival.com/

“We are doubly-honored this year to host these amazing authors and to receive the MANY Engaging Communities Award of Distinction for the festival itself,” said JBL! Executive Director Martha Swan. 

“We couldn’t do it without the best festival volunteers, partners and sponsors one could hope for or without the support of the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation and the site staff at the John Brown Farm.”

The Engaging Community award celebrates organizations across New York State that use exceptional and resourceful methods to engage their communities and build new audiences. One of fifteen Awards of Distinction recognizing unique leadership, dedicated community service, and transformational visitor experiences and innovative programs, it will be presented at MANY’s 2024 annual conference “Giving Voice to Value” in Albany in April. 

To learn more about MANY and the Awards of Distinction, visit: https://nysmuseums.org/annualconference 

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Event

Great Press!

It’s not just us and the Festival participants talking about what a spectacular time it was at Lake Placid Middle/High School. Take a minute to check out the great pieces about the AFBF in the news!

Read the Press Republican

Listen to MediaSanctuary on SoundCloud

Read the Adirondack Daily Enterprise

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Rain or Shine, Festival Divine!

Despite a last minute venue change due to weather, the second annual Adirondack Family Book Festival was another spectacular event, bursting at the seams with energy and engagement! Thank you to Lake Placid Middle/High School for keeping everyone warm and dry. Next year’s date is Saturday, August 17 2024. Mark your calendars!

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Location

VENUE CHANGE!

Due to weather, the Adirondack Family Book Festival will be held at Lake Placid Middle/High School 34 School St., Lake Placid, NY. Saturday, August 19. The gates open at 9:30. Park on Cummings Street. See you there!

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Author Event Illustrator

2023 Draft Schedule!

There may be some minor adjustments, but the schedule for the 2023 Adirondack Family Book Festival has been announced! It looks like another fantastic combination of personalities and topics.

TimeTitleAgePresenters
9:30Festival grounds open with browsing/book sales
10:00Welcome & Land Acknowledgment
(in Main Festival Tent)		AllMartha Swan, José Barreiro
10:30-
11:00		Teamwork on the Page: The Magic of Collaborative Picture BooksPicture BookLesa Cline-Ransome, James Ransome, Grace Lin, Kate Messner
11:15-
11:45		Sharpen Your Pencils: An Interactive Workshop and Q&A with IllustratorsAllMax Eaton, Grace Lin, James Ransome
12:00-
12:30		Honeybees, Sushi, and Art: Imagining the Possibilities in Picture Book NonfictionPicture BookLoree Griffin Burns, Debbi Michiko Florence, Amy Guglielmo, Angela Kunkel
12:45-
1:00		Scribbling Ideas: What’s in your Writer’s Notebook?AllKalynn Bayron, Loree Griffin Burns, Emma Otheguy
1:15-
1:45		Lights, Camera, History! Bringing the Past Alive for ReadersMiddle GradeSarah Albee, José Barreiro, Lisa Cline-Ransome, Kate Messner
2:00-
2:30		Just like a Friend: Three MG Novelists Share Secrets of Character CreationMiddle GradeDebbi Michiko Florence, Emma Otheguy, Phil Stamper
2:45-
3:15		Unputdownable: The Latest Page Turners for Teen ReadersYoung Adult
Kalynn Bayron, Francesca Padilla, Phil Stamper
3:15-
4:00		Browsing/Book SalesAll
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Author Event Illustrator

2023’s Line Up

What better way to celebrate National Children’s Day than to share the Adirondack Family Book Festival’s 2023 presenters! We are so excited and grateful to be hosting these accomplished authors and illustrators: Sarah Albee, Jose Barreiro, Kalynn Bayron, Lesa Cline-Ransome, Loree Griffin Burns, Maxwell Eaton III, Debbie Michiko Florence, Amy Guglielmo, Angela Kunkel, Grace Lin, Kate Messner, Emma Otheguy, Francesca Padilla, James Ransome, and Phil Stamper. For more details, check out the Author & Illustrator page.

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Author Event Illustrator

2023 Authors & Illustrators

Participation in the Adirondack Family Book Festival is by invitation only. Authors & illustrators who would like to be considered for future events may fill out this form to submit information for the festival committee to consider. Our group selects invited authors based on a list of criteria to best serve the community and the festival’s mission. Our goal is to feature a wide variety of traditionally published authors and illustrators who have a significant body of work for children and young adults. Many of our authors and illustrators create books for multiple age groups. Diversity and inclusion are core values, and we welcome creators from traditionally marginalized groups. Our 2023 festival is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, August 19. 

Adirondack Family Book Festival Interest Form

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A Perfect Day!

The first annual Adirondack Family Book Festival was a resounding success! A huge heartfelt thank you everyone who attended, participated, volunteered, and contributed (no matter how small) to make the event truly special. We can’t wait to start working on next year’s Festival!

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Event Location

Food, Water, and Maps

It is time to talk logistics! Please make sure to pack a lunch and whatever snacks needed for the day. There will be no food available on site for purchase, but plenty of top notch picnicking spots. There will be numerous water stations open to all for a drink or water bottle refill. And speaking of water, should the weather prove uncooperative and rain, the Festival will be relocated to the Lake Placid High School.

The John Brown Farm State Historic Site is at 115 John Brown Road, Lake Placid, NY. Click the link to get directions from wherever you may be traveling from.

Below is a detailed map of where various Festival activities be located at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site.