Walker Book Festival

Multiple award-winning, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of over six dozen books for kids will be speaking to fourth and fifth grades.

Chris Grabenstein is the multiple award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the "Lemoncello," "Wonderland," "Haunted Mystery," "Smartest Kid," and "Dog Squad" series. He co-authored the acclaimed SHINE! and the super silly "Stinky’s Stories" with his wife, J.J. Grabenstein, as well as nearly three dozen fast-paced and funny page-turners with James Patterson, including the "I Funny," "Jacky HA-HA," "Treasure Hunters," and "Max Einstein" series. He’s written Audible Originals, short stories, and stage plays. After graduating from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Chris moved to New York City and started doing improvisational comedy in Greenwich Village. During those years, he also wrote for the Muppets and helped create the CBS holiday classic The Christmas Gift starring John Denver. He then spent seventeen years writing radio and television commercials for brands such as KFC, Dr Pepper, Seven Up, and many others. His first boss in advertising was James Patterson. Chris, the current president of the Mystery Writers of America, and J.J. still live in New York City with two cats and lots of ideas.

Multiple award-winning cartoonist, author and teacher will be speaking to third-grade students.

Gene Yang began making comics and graphic novels in the fifth grade. In 2006, his book "American Born Chinese" was published by First Second Books.  It became the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award and the first to win the American Library Association’s Printz Award. It also won an Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album – New. 

In 2013, First Second Books released "Boxers & Saints," his two-volume graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion.  Boxers & Saints was nominated for a National Book Award and won the L.A. Times Book Prize. Gene has done a number of other comics, including Dark Horse Comics’ continuation of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and DC Comics’ "Superman!"

In addition to cartooning, Gene teaches creative writing through Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. He teaches alongside amazing authors like Anne Ursu, Gary Schmidt, Laura Ruby, Matt De La Pena and more.

In January 2016, the Library of Congress, Every Child A Reader, and the Children’s Book Council appointed him the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Professional coauthor of nonfiction books, including seven New York Times Bestsellers will be speaking to Kindergarten through second-grade students.

Bret Witter is an eight-time New York Times bestselling coauthor whose books have sold more than three million copies. Some of his popular books are "Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World," and "The Monuments Men" which was turned into a movie by George Clooney. Witter's primary theme is the nobility of the ordinary: the joy that comes with working hard for personal goals, even if relatively few ever notice. He lives in Decatur, Ga., with his wife and two children.