Eighth grader Drew Ellis is no stranger to the saying “You have to work twice as hard to be just as good.” His grandmother has reminded him his entire life. But what if he works ten times as hard and still isn’t afforded the same opportunities that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted?' Jerry Craft's New Kid is the only book in history to win the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature; the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature, and the Coretta Scott King Author Award for the most outstanding work by an African American writer.

How do you speak up when it feels like no one is listening? One girl takes on seventh grade while facing mental health challenges, and must find her voice to advocate for the help and understanding she deserves.

Listen up:
The end of elementary school?
Worst time of my life.
And the start of middle school?
I just wasn’t quite right.

But this year?
YO VOY A MI.

Did you know that Gene Yang’s “American Born Chinese” was the first graphic novel nominated for the National Book Award (it was a finalist!)? And that Gene became the National Ambassador for Children’s Literature? You won’t want to miss Gene’s epic presentation as he takes you through his world of graphic novels, comics, storytelling, and how to make your voice heard in the world. A must for any kids who loves graphic novels.

Facing a world dually-altered by climate change and those who profit from it, Yolanda Cicerón will have to fight to save the last known beehive from extinction in this stirring new adventure. While life in the Valley is brutal and harsh, Yoly dreams of leaving her farm to live in Silo—the most advanced town for miles around. Can the last surviving beehive be the key to pulling the Valley out from under Silo’s thumb, or will they destroy what remains of Yoly’s future?

Amelia is cleaning out her grandmother's attic when she stumbles across a book: Tales to Keep You Up at Night. Curious, she reads the stories: tales of strange incidents in nearby towns, of journal entries chronicling endless, twisting pumpkin vines, birthday parties gone awry, and cursed tarot decks. And at the center of the stories lies a family of witches. And witches, she's told, can look like anyone...and Amelia begins to think she may be in a scary story of her own.

Amelia is cleaning our her grandmother’s attic when she stumbles across a book: Tales to Keep You Up at Night. Curious, she reads the storeis: tales of strange incidents in nearby towns, of journal entries chronicling endless, twisting pumpkin vines, birthday parties gone awry, and cursed tarot decks. And at the center of the stories lies a family of witches. And witches, she is told, can look like anyone…and Amelia begins to think she may be in a scary story of her own.

How do you speak up when it feels like no one is listening? One girl takes on seventh grade while facing mental health challenges, and must find her voice to advocate for the help and understanding she deserves.

Listen up:The end of elementary school?Worst time of my life.And the start of middle school?I just wasn’t quite right.

But this year?YO VOY A MI.

Isn’t everyone’s cat a feline warlord trying to take over the world? Well, Klawde certainly is. Klawde is not your basic cat. He’s an emperor from another planet, exiled to Earth. He’s cruel. He’s cunning. He’s brilliant… and he’s also Raj Banerjee’s best friend. What would YOU do if an evil alien cat arrived on your doorstep? Join VCBF favorite Johnny Marciano (and the High Commander of the planet Lyttyrboks) to create new adventures for Klawde (and save Earth from his evil plans).

Facing a world dually-altered by climate change and those who profit from it, Yolanda Cicerón will have to fight to save the last known beehive from extinction in this stirring new adventure. While life in the Valley is brutal and harsh, Yoly dreams of leaving her farm to live in Silo—the most advanced town for miles around. Can the last surviving beehive be the key to pulling the Valley out from under Silo’s thumb, or will they destroy what remains of Yoly’s future? ription goes here

Did you know that Gene Yang’s “American Born Chinese” was the first graphic novel nominated for the National Book Award (it was a finalist!)? And that “New Kid” by Jerry Craft was the first graphic novel to win a Newbery Award? You won’t want to miss epic presentation as Gene and Jerry take you through their world of graphic novels, comics, storytelling, and how to make your voice heard in the world. A must for any kids who loves graphic novels.

No one knows scary like Dan Poblocki.He is the co-author with Neil Patrick Harris of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Magic Misfits (writing under the pen-name Alec Azam). He's also the author of The Stone Child, The Nightmarys, and the Mysterious Four series and many more. His books, The Ghost of Graylock and The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe, were Junior Library Guild selections and made the American Library Association’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list. Don’t miss this exciting workshop.

Did you know that Gene Yang’s “American Born Chinese” was the first graphic novel nominated for the National Book Award (it was a finalist!)? And that “New Kid” by Jerry Craft was the first graphic novel to win a Newbery Award? You won’t want to miss this workshop as Gene and Jerry take you through their world of graphic novels, comics, storytelling, and how to make your voice heard in the world. A must for any kids who loves graphic novels.

Sometimes the best ideas and the best talk come when we are playing a game. Sports are more than just a way to break the ice. They are a way to interact, to spur being social, to solve problems, to connect. Pablo wants to connect with kids through sports, to talk about books, and life, and friends, and dreams. So come play basketball!

The VCBF LIVEmural is back, and this year our muralist Monty Montgomery is working with award-winning illustrator Corinna Luyken to design a colorful and fun mural that you get to paint! Don’t miss your chance to leave your mark on the 2022 VCBF by helping create this magical mural.