Reading is often a solitary pursuit, but for thousands of young readers one Saturday every spring, it’s a community event.

The North Texas Teen Book Festival celebrates its 10th year of welcoming preteen and teen readers — and their families — this Saturday at the Irving Convention Center. The festival is free and features a full day of panel discussions, interactive sessions and book signings.

I’ve been attending since 2018 as a reader and mom, teacher and volunteer. This Saturday, for the third year in a row, I’m moderating an author panel, interviewing authors on their craft. I’ll also attend sessions, visit with middle-schoolers and purchase a pile of books. It’s one of my favorite days of the year.

The lineup at this year’s festival is worthy of a 10th anniversary with big names including Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Tui T. Sutherland (Wings of Fire), R.L. Stine (Goosebumps), Lois Lowry (The Giver) and Jerry Craft (New Kid). They’ll talk about current and past projects, the creative process, genre-specific characteristics and more.

What I love most about the event is the sense of camaraderie and community. Some kids arrive in big clumps, shuffling off school buses in matching shirts from their campuses. (Bookish puns abound.) Some arrive on their own and make a friend or two along the way. Corridors are filled with readers, some who can’t wait to start reading a new title and others who can’t wait to talk about a favorite author.

No one is a stranger by the end of the day, when organized hordes wait in line for authors to sign books. You’ll see a kid clutching a copy of a well-loved novel, bouncing up and down, waiting to say hello to an author who changed her life. Others hold stacks of books, plotting how to get maximum signatures in 90 minutes.

Behind the scenes, the authors find community, too. The festival is an annual reunion for many of them, far-flung friends in the same (often solitary) profession who revel in a chance to talk shop and catch up.

“It feels like coming home,” says Oklahoma-based Jennifer Lynn Barnes, author of 25 novels including the best-selling Inheritance Games series. “I love talking about craft and books and why people love stories.”

Barnes has been involved since the beginning and, in fact, helped founder Kristin Treviño and co-founder Rose Brock to brainstorm how to organize the event in a way that would appeal to both readers and authors.

“As writers, we want to talk to other people about writing,” says California-based Stuart Gibbs, prolific author of five different series for middle-grade readers. His 37th book, Charlie Thorne and the Royal Society, publishes this week. “I have made some of my best friends in life through connections at this event.”

Gibbs is one of 77 authors scheduled to attend the event that was started by librarians Treviño and Brock, who wanted to give young North Texas readers access to authors. About 3,000 attended that first year, Brock says, and just before the pandemic hit, about 15,000 attended the all-day festival. (Attendance is coming back strong after the COVID-19 years.)

It’s the largest festival in Texas for young readers and is hosted by the Irving Public Library with the help of sponsorships from publishers.

The steering committee carefully considers how to reach the wide range of readers that attend, including younger readers who aren’t necessarily ready for young-adult content. In 2018, an intentional middle-grade track was added to the festival, offering families more age-appropriate choices. “It’s really perfect for them,” Brock says. “We can guide kids to what fits them best.”

Middle-grade authors scheduled this year include James Ponti (City Spies), Christina Soontornvat (author of one of my favorite narrative nonfiction books, All Thirteen), Raina Telgemeier (graphic novelist extraordinaire) and Veera Hiranandani (The Night Diary). They’ll join a slate of young adult authors including Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Ruta Sepetys (I Must Betray You) and Karen M. McManus (One of Us Is Lying).

Each year, I balance my time between listening to the authors I already adore and discovering new-to-me authors who will eventually become favorites. And I always leave feeling more connected to the book community.

“People find their people,” Brock says. “There is this beautiful coming together through stories.”

North Texas Teen Book Festival

When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Irving Convention Center, 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving

Cost: Free parking and admission

More details: northtexasteenbookfestival.com

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