The Youth Stoop (Borough Hall Plaza)

BP Markowitz speaks to children at the Target “Children’s Area”

 11:00 a.m. How Dramatic! Troupe performs work by Newbery Award-winning authors Susan Cooper and Patricia MacLachlan, and playwright Ossie Davis, followed by a Q&A with Cooper, MacLachlan and Editor Alice Bernstein (The People of Clarendon County).

12:00 p.m. Witty and Wicked – Deborah Gregory (Catwalk, The Cheetah Girls) and Cecily von Ziegesar (Gossip Girl, It Girl) dish and deliver as they read their books and chat about bringing their characters to life on film and television. Moderator Lauren Mechling, journalist and author of Dream Girl.

1:00 p.m. The Other Side – Faeries, Elves and Ancient Omens. Come to the other side of reality where these three authors discuss their works of fantasy and their craft. Holly Black (The Good Neighbors, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Ironside), Gail Carson Levine (Ever, Ella Enchanted), and Daniel Kirk (Elf Realm). Moderated by Laura Arnold, HarperCollins.

2:00 p.m. Growing Pains. Come hear critically acclaimed authors Jacqueline Woodson (After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers), An Na (The Fold), and Paul Volponi (Hurricane Song, The Hand You’re Dealt) read from their books and talk about what happens when life gets hard for kids. Moderated by Stacey Barney, Putnam Books for Young Readers.

3:00 p.m. Inked In.  The world of comics and graphic novels is brought to life by three leading artists and writers: Ariel Schrag (Awkward, Definition, Potential, and Likewise), Ivan Velez, Jr. (Tales of the Closet, Dead High Yearbook), and Brian Wood (DMZ, Demo, The New York Four).

4:00 p.m. Teen Identity.  Who are you? Where do you belong? How do you define yourself? Join David Levithan (Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Boy Meets Boy), Sarah Mlynowksi (Bras and Broomsticks, How to Be Bad) and Alisa Valdes-Rodriquez (Haters) as they discuss the challenges of defining yourself as an individual, and how they manage to capture the humor and angst of the teen experience in their books. Moderated by author Dan Ehrenhaft.

5:00 p.m. When the Black Girl Sings.  Author Bil Wright and actors present a dramatic reading of his book When the Black Girl Sings. Performers are Darlesia Cearcy (Nettie from The Color Purple), Na Tasha Yvette Williams (Sophia from The Color Purple) and Martin Sola (Coram Boy). 

5:30 p.m. Brooklyn Snap Lit Match.  Finalists of the borough-wide writing contest, Brooklyn Snap, read from their work. Hosted by MTV’s “Makin’ the Band” co-star and choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson through Making Books Sing.