Wednesday, October 15
The VCBF bookstore is located in Dorrill Lee Grand and is open all day.
Don’t forget to drop into the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts to paint this year’s LIVEmural with Monty Montgomery.
Click on an arrow to see the session description
(locations subject to change)
Session 1, 9:45-10:30
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Recommended Ages: 4–8 (Pre-K to Grade 2)
Location: Blackwell Ballroom
Celebrate all the ways kids can be strong—with bold colors, big feelings, and a whole lot of heart!
Beloved author and artist Todd Parr leads this joyful session based on his newest book, I Am Strong. Kids will draw, share, and reflect on what makes them strong—whether it's lifting a friend’s spirits or imagining something new. Bright outfits and big smiles encouraged!
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Recommended Ages: 4–8 (Pre-K to Grade 2)
Location: Jarman Auditorium
Join bestselling author and illustrator Victoria Kann for a magical, interactive morning inspired by her beloved Pinkalicious series. Through storytelling, drawing, and playful creativity, kids will meet their favorite pink-powered heroine, dream up brand-new "-alicious" characters, and explore what makes each of us uniquely colorful.
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Recommended Ages: 8–12 (Grades 3–6)
Location: Upchurch Soza Ballroom
Pack your magnifying glass and your imagination! Join author and puzzle expert Russell Ginns for a fast-paced, hands-on mystery-writing adventure. From lost cities and strange symbols to unsolved disappearances and ancient riddles, students will uncover real-world curiosities and use them as sparks for crafting their own mysterious stories. Along the way, they’ll learn how to build suspense, plant clues, and think like a detective—or a trickster.
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Recommended Ages: 6–10 (Grades 1–4)
Location: Maugans Martinelli Board Room
Enter the wildly inventive world of Timothy Basil Ering, where creatures squiggle, nonsense makes perfect sense, and every brushstroke tells a story. In this colorful, creative session, kids will build strange lands, design wild-eyed heroes, and celebrate the messy, marvelous art of imagination. Warning: silliness encouraged.
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Recommended Ages: 7–11 (Upper Elementary)
Location: Lankford Ballroom
Join author and poet Chris Harris, and author and rapper Malik-16 in this word-wacky, rule-bending poetry session where rhymes are optional and silliness is required! Inspired by I'm Just No Good at Rhyming,and I Grab the Mic, students will explore how to twist, tumble, and tease language until it turns into totally original poetry. Expect laughter, unexpected rhymes, and some very unusual verse.
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Recommended Ages: 6–12 (elementary to early middle school)
Location: Dorrill Nance Room
BOOM! ZIZZLE! SPARKLE! Ready to make art that EXPLODES off the page? Join award-winning illustrator Cátia Chien for the most dazzling art adventure ever! Inspired by her stunning picture book Fireworks, kids will create cascading waterfall fireworks that shimmer and flow, delicate chrysanthemum blooms that burst with color, and KABOOM! . No words needed—just colors, shapes, and movement that tell powerful stories! Watch as celebration comes to life on paper where every brushstroke becomes a firework waiting to happen. Come spark your imagination and leave with artwork that truly goes BOOM!
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Presented by the bestselling author of Darth Vader and Son and HULK TEACH!
Recommended Ages: 7–11 (Grades 2–5)
Location: Maugans Virginia Room
What happens when the strongest Avenger becomes a substitute teacher? Total classroom chaos—and total comic fun! Join bestselling author and cartoonist Jeffrey Brown for a laugh-out-loud session inspired by his new book HULK TEACH!, a graphic novel about school, smashing, and surprises. Kids will learn how comics are made, create their own hilarious classroom scenes, and discover how even the Hulk can teach us a thing or two about being awesome.
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Recommended Ages: Grades 4–8 (Ages 9–14)
Location: Upchurch Wilson Chamber
There’s a hand on the loose—and only YOU can solve the case! Join author-illustrator Jay Cooper for a spooky, choose-your-own-adventure-style mystery where every clue leads to a new twist. Then create your own creepy case, complete with suspects, red herrings, and big reveals. Warning: this mystery has a mind of its own.
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Recommended Ages: 10–14 (Upper Elementary to Middle School)
Location: Maugans Prince Edward Room
In The Witch of Woodland, Zippy is stuck—between childhood and adulthood, logic and magic, belief and doubt. In this enchanting and reflective session, author Laurel Snyder helps young readers explore what it means to grow into yourself. With writing prompts, story sparks, and space to wonder, students will discover how memory, heritage, and imagination can lead to powerful stories.
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Recommended Ages: 5–9 (Kindergarten to Lower Elementary)
Location: Greenwood Library Atrium
Walk in two straight lines and dive into the world of Madeline with author and illustrator John Bemelmans Marciano! In this playful session full of art, rhyme, and travel, children will draw their own brave little characters, write rhyming story starters, and explore what it means to be “the smallest one” with the biggest heart. Perfect for young artists, adventurers, and fans of timeless picture books.
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Inspired by the Bibsy Cross series
Recommended Ages: 7–10 (Grades 2–4)
Location: Greenwood Library Horseshoe Lounge
Third grade is just regular pegular, day after day… or is it? Join award-winning author Liz Garton Scanlon for an interactive, heart-filled session inspired by her Bibsy Cross chapter book series—a set of chapter books about what happens when life starts to feels a little extra complicated. Make a “time capsule,” just like Bibsy, as a way of capturing what makes life – and each one of us – so special.
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All ages
Location: West Madison Street
VMFA on the Road is the museum’s 21st-century Artmobile, coming to you from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Session 2, 10:45-11:30
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Recommended Ages: 4–8 (Pre-K to Grade 2)
Location: Jarman Auditorium
Celebrate all the ways kids can be strong—with bold colors, big feelings, and a whole lot of heart!
Beloved author and artist Todd Parr leads this joyful session based on his newest book, I Am Strong. Kids will draw, share, and reflect on what makes them strong—whether it's lifting a friend’s spirits or imagining something new. Bright outfits and big smiles encouraged!
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With Catia Chien, Cozbi A. Cabrera, London Ladd, Tim Ering, and Russell Ginns
Recommended Ages: all ages
Location: Upchurch Soza Ballroom
Live Drawing Showdown Watch art come alive in real time as your favorite illustrators go head-to-head in this epic drawing showdown! Armed with pencils, pastels, markers and imagination, artists will compete in fun, fast-paced drawing challenges based on zany prompts from the audience. Kids will help judge each round and even get to join the action. It’s part game show, part art demo, and 100% unforgettable.
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Recommended Ages: 7–11 (Upper Elementary)
Location: Maugans Martinelli Boardroom
Get ready to giggle, rhyme, and roll your eyeballs (in the best way possible)! Join poet and prankster Chris Harris for a whirlwind of wordplay, goofy games, and poetry that makes absolutely no sense—and that's the point. In this laugh-out-loud session, kids will create their own wacky poems, flip normal on its head, and discover the joy of writing just for fun. Perfect for curious kids, creative minds, and anyone who thinks their elbow might secretly be writing poetry.
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Presented by the author-illustrator of Pinkalicious
Recommended Ages: 5–9 (Kindergarten to Grade 3)
Location: Lankford Ballroom
Unleash your inner artist in this hands-on, sparkly session with Pinkalicious creator Victoria Kann! In this workshop full of color and creativity, kids will use collage to design their very own storybook-alicious characters, dreamy landscapes, and story starters—just like the vibrant art in the Pinkalicious books.
With plenty of paper, patterns, and imagination, young artists will create bold, one-of-a-kind works that celebrate what makes them unique. Come ready to snip, glue, and shine!
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Presented by the author of My Brother’s Butt is Haunted
Recommended Ages: 8–12 (Upper Elementary to Early Middle School)
Location: Dorrill Nance Room
Things are about to get weird. Join bestselling author Dan Poblocki for a wildly fun session inspired by his latest laugh-out-loud ghost story, My Brother’s Butt is Haunted. Kids will learn how to mix horror with humor, dream up haunted objects of their own, and maybe even write the weirdest story of their lives. Warning: this session contains ghosts, giggles, and some very suspicious furniture.
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Presented by the co-author of The Family Tree
Recommended Ages: 5–9 (Kindergarten to Grade 3)
Location: Maugans Virginia Room
Life is busy – even for kids! There’s always someone leaving for work or getting home from school. There are chores and meals and pets to tend to. So how does your family – how does any family – slow down, connect and remember what really matters? At Penny’s house, it is the arrival of an extraordinary tree – a FAMILY tree! In this creative session with award-winning author Liz Garton Scanlon, kids will enjoy a read-aloud and a chance to imagine what might happen if something wild and magical pushed into their own houses or lives.
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With Huda Fahmy, Jay Cooper, Jeffrey Brown:
Recommended Ages: 9–13 (Upper Elementary to Early Middle School)
Location: Upchurch Wilson Chamber
Join three amazing creators—Huda Fahmy (Huda F Are You?), Jay Cooper (The Last Comics on Earth), and Sharee Miller (Curlfriends)—for a fast-paced, hands-on workshop where you create your very own graphic novel scenes. Learn how to design characters, set up panels, write snappy dialogue, and let your art tell the story. Whether you’re funny, dramatic, weird, or quiet, your story belongs on the page. No fancy drawing skills required—just your imagination!
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Presented by the author of Orphan Island and My Jasper June
Recommended Ages: 10–14 (Middle Grade Readers)
Where do your best stories live—in the woods behind your house? In a memory? In a world that
only exists when you close your eyes?
In this magical, story-fueled workshop, bestselling author Laurel Snyder invites young writers to
invent their own “in-between” worlds—places that reflect their hearts, hopes, and questions.
Through writing prompts and thoughtful discussion, students will explore how imaginary places
help us better understand ourselves.
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Recommended Ages: 11–14 (Middle School)
Location: Greenwood Library Atrium
How many times do you have to live before you get it right? In this hilarious and strange session, Johnny Marciano, author of The 66th Rebirth of Frankie Caridi, guides readers through a creative crash course in death, rebirth, and writing absurd worlds that somehow feel… real. Students will invent their own wild afterlife rules, grapple with identity (again), and discover why weirdness is a storytelling superpower.
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All Ages
Location: West Madison Street
VMFA on the Road is the museum’s 21st-century Artmobile, coming to you from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Lunch & More, 11:30-12:45
Visit the VCBF bookstore, stop by the VMFA artmobile, try your hand at being the Hulk, join a watermelon-eating contest, and more!
Session 3, 1:00-1:45
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Recommended Ages: 10–14 (Middle School)
Location: Lankford Ballroom
Some maps help you find your way. Others help you find yourself.
Join author Laurel Snyder for a creative workshop where students design maps of places that may or may not exist—but hold deep meaning. Inspired by Orphan Island and The Witch of Woodland, students will create visual landscapes filled with secrets, memories, and magic. Part drawing, part storytelling, this session helps young artists chart the worlds inside them.
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Recommended Ages: 6–10 (Grades 1–4)
Location: Dorrill Nance Room
Let's Grab the Mic! Join VCBF Rapper-in Residence Malik-16 as he introduces children to the art of hip hop by using rhythm, rhymes, and beats to explore and engage with books and stories. This program will help children connect with literature in a fun and energetic way.
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Recommended Ages: 6–10 (Grades 1–4)
Location: Maugans Martinelli Board Room
Enter the wildly inventive world of Timothy Basil Ering, where creatures squiggle, nonsense makes perfect sense, and every brushstroke tells a story. In this colorful, creative session, kids will build strange lands, design wild-eyed heroes, and celebrate the messy, marvelous art of imagination. Silliness encouraged.
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Recommended Ages: 7–10 (Grades 2–4)
Location: Maugans Virginia Room
Third grade is just regular pegular, day after day… or is it? Join award-winning author Liz Garton Scanlon for an interactive, heart-filled session inspired by her Bibsy Cross chapter book series—a set of chapter books about what happens when life starts to feels a little extra complicated. As part of this session, we will work together to make a “time capsule,” just like Bibsy, as a way of capturing what makes life – and each one of us – so special.
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Recommended Ages: 8–12 (Upper Elementary to Early Middle School)
Location: Maugans Prince Edward Room
Things are about to get weird. Join bestselling author Dan Poblocki for a wildly fun session inspired by his latest laugh-out-loud ghost story, My Brother’s Butt is Haunted. Kids will learn how to mix horror with humor, dream up haunted objects of their own, and maybe even write the weirdest story of their lives. Warning: this session contains ghosts, giggles, and some very suspicious furniture.
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Recommended Ages: 8–12 (Upper Elementary to Early Middle School)
Location: Upchurch Wilson Chamber
Grab your pencils and your imaginations—it’s time to survive the comic apocalypse! Join The Last Comics on Earth illustrator Jay Cooper and emcee Russell Ginns for a wild, hands-on workshop where kids create their own monster-fighting comics. You’ll invent unlikely heroes, terrifying (or ridiculous) monsters, and bring your own action-packed story to life—one panel at a time.
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Recommended Ages: 7–11 (Upper Elementary)
Location: Greenwood Library Atrium
Get ready to giggle, rhyme, and roll your eyeballs (in the best way possible)! Join poet and prankster Chris Harris for a whirlwind of wordplay, goofy games, and poetry that makes absolutely no sense—and that's the point. In this laugh-out-loud session, kids will create their own wacky poems, flip normal on its head, and discover the joy of writing just for fun. Perfect for curious kids, creative minds, and anyone who thinks their elbow might secretly be writing poetry.
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All Ages
Location: LCVA, 129 N Main St.
Join Cozbi and Monty to paint on the 2026 VCBF mural at the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts!
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All ages
Location: LCVA, 129 N Main St.
Join award-winning illustrators Catia Chien, Huda Fahmy, Victoria Kann, and London Ladd and draw to your heart’s content and create something original and wonderful!
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All Ages
Location: West Madison Street
VMFA on the Road is the museum’s 21st-century Artmobile, coming to you from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.