Tucson Festival of Books

Imagination Friday with Max Brallier

a group of kids close together surrounded by skulls.Meet Max Brallier, author of the Last Kids on Earth series. Max will share the highly anticipated sixth book in this bestselling series, The Last Kids on Earth and the Skeleton Road. In their latest adventure, Jack, June, Quint and Dirk go on a road trip to search for the villain Thrull and his skeleton army. The Last Kids on Earth is now available as a Netflix series. This webinar will include an activity and Q&A.

Imagination Fridays participants can order signed copies of the books featured at https://shop.uabookstore.arizona.edu/main/wildcats/TFOB/Children.

Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW
Panelists: Max Brallier
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

Max Brallier is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. His books and series include The Last Kids on Earth, Eerie Elementary, Mister Shivers, Galactic Hot Dogs, and Can YOU Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? He is a writer and producer for Netflix’s Emmy-award-winning adaptation of The Last Kids on Earth. Max lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter. Visit him at MaxBrallier.com.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs Fridays from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2020 with a different author or illustrator each week. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with Gordon C. James

boy in a white shirt with arms crosses across chest wearing a backpack.Meet illustrator Gordon C. James, and hear about his new book, I Am Every Good Thing, written by Derrick Barnes. This book challenges the negative images and feelings that surround Black boys by saying they are “worthy of success, respect, safety, kindness, happiness—they are every good thing.”

Watch the recording right here! Gordon shares his new book and his process of illustrating the book, invites children to create their own illustrations and answer questions.

Imagination Fridays participants can order signed copies of the books featured at https://shop.uabookstore.arizona.edu/main/wildcats/TFOB/Children.

Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW.
Panelists: Gordon C. James
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

Gordon wearing a black shirt with arms crossed in front on his chest.Gordon C. James illustrated the critically acclaimed picture book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut (by Derrick Barnes), which received a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, an Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor, the 2018 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers, and a Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. He also illustrated Let ‘Er Buck!: George Fletcher the People’s Champion (by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson). He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and two children.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs Fridays from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2020 with a different author or illustrator each week. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with Andy Griffiths

Full-length shot of Andy Griffiths in dark jeans and a blazer over a graphic T-shirt.Join us to laugh along with international superstar, Andy Griffiths, all the way from Australia. Andy is the bestselling author of the Treehouse chapter book series and will tell about his newest book, The Treehouse Joke Book, and his upcoming 10th book in the series, The 130-Story Treehouse. The Treehouse Joke Book is chock-full of gags, quips, puns and cartoons. The Treehouse books by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton are chapter books filled with black-and-white drawings and packed with jokes, nonstop action and exuberant storytelling. Hang out in their 130-Story Treehouse, that has a soap bubble blaster, a time-wasting level, the GRABINATOR (can grab anything from anywhere at any time), a toilet paper factory and an extraterrestrial observation center. This webinar will include time for a Q&A and an activity.

Imagination Fridays participants can order signed copies of the books featured at https://shop.uabookstore.arizona.edu/main/wildcats/TFOB/Children.

Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW
Panelists: Andy Griffiths
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

Andy Griffiths is the best-selling author of the Treehouse series, Killer Koalas from Outer Space, The Big Fat Cow That Goes Kapow and The Cat on the Mat is Flat. Andy lives in Melbourne, Australia and works with cartoonist Terry Denton. Andy and Terry’s books have sold over 10 million copies in Australia and won many awards, including Book of the Year. The Treehouse series has been embraced by children around the world and is now published in more than 35 countries. Five of the books have been adapted for the stage in the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs Fridays from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2020 with a different author or illustrator each week. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Decorative WOW News Header

Worlds of Words Presents Imagination Fridays

By Aika Adamson, Worlds of Words

Worlds of Words and the Tucson Festival of Books partner to bring excitement and fun to children with our limited series, Imagination Friday. Watch as an author or illustrator appears virtually to discuss their books live with children in classrooms and at home. These bestselling creators do a brief presentation, lead activities and answer questions. This periodic webinar series occurs during the school day on Fridays from 1:00-1:45 PM from September to December 2023 so teachers can share in their classroom. You must register for the webinars to attend and will receive a link to click on and join each webinar. The webinar will be recorded and those who register will receive that link to watch the recording if unable to join us live. Registration links are on the Tucson Festival of Books and on Worlds of Words. Registration is free! Continue reading →

Imagination Friday with Michael Rex

Join us for some fantastic fun as We’re Going on a Goon Hunt with Michael Rex! A goon hunt is no easy task. A twisted tangled pumpkin patch, murky bubbling swamp and foggy crumbling graveyard are just a few of the obstacles these kids will have to go through, skulking monsters included. When the Goon finally makes an appearance–under the covers they go! Except one brave child who finds monsters more fun than scary. This event will have time for a Q&A and an activity for children of all ages.

Imagination Fridays participants can order signed copies of the books featured at https://shop.uabookstore.arizona.edu/main/wildcats/TFOB/Children.

Host: Rebecca Ballenger, Associate Director of WOW
Panelists: Michael Rex
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

Michael Rex is the creator of over thirty books for children, including the number one bestseller Goodnight Goon and the Fangbone! series. He also illustrated With Any Luck, I’ll Drive a Truck by David Friend. He was inspired to create Icky Ricky by his two boys, Declan and Gavin, who are fine young citizens, but very disgusting. Gavin eats ketchup on cake, and Declan uses a marker to color his belly button. Along with the boys, Michael lives with his wife and their dog, Roxy, in Leonia, New Jersey. His wife and the dog are not disgusting at all. Visit him at www.michaelrex.blogspot.com. You won’t get dirty.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs Fridays from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2020 with a different author or illustrator each week. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with Sherri Duskey Rinker

Join your favorite Construction Site crew in their next, new adventure! At this event Sherri will present Construction Site Mission: Demolition!, then invite children to participate in an activity.

Download the Construction Site Mission: Demolition Activity Kit from Chronicle Books for this event.

Imagination Fridays participants can order signed copies of the books featured at https://shop.uabookstore.arizona.edu/main/wildcats/TFOB/Children.

Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW.
Panelists: Sherri Duskey Rinker
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

Sherri is the author of five New York Times bestselling picturebooks, including the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site Series. She also authored Steam Train, Dream Train and the nonfiction picture book biography Big Machines: The Story of Virginia Lee Burton (HMH, illust. by John Rocco). Some of her other titles include The 12 Sleighs of Christmas (Chronicle, illust. by Jake Parker), Tiny and the Big Dig (Scholastic, illust. by Matt Myers) and Celebrate YOU! (Balzer+Bray, illust. by A.N. Kang). Her first middle grade novel, Revver The Speedway Squirrel, debuts fall 2020 (Bloomsbury, illust. by Alex Willan) with a sequel scheduled for 2021. Sherri lives in the Chicago area with her husband, two sons and one fluffy dog. Inspired by her childhood love of books, her sons, and her 25-year career as a graphic designer, Sherri writes in hopes of making the world a little more fun and encouraging early readers, one book at a time.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs Fridays from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2020 with a different author or illustrator each week. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with Christina Soontornvat

Join Christina in this exciting presentation of her book All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Boys Tai Soccer Team. Combining material from community interviews with in-depth science content and details about the region’s culture and religion, All Thirteen paints two scenes of unflagging perseverance: Aboveground, a global rescue team of military personnel, engineers, medics, cave divers, and other volunteers races to find the trapped boys. Almost half a mile below, a similarly heroic effort is taking place in the quiet darkness as the Wild Boars focus on conserving their energy and oxygen, and—most importantly—keeping their hopes up. Both the boys and their rescuers will soon prove to the world that even in the face of impossible odds, the human spirit is an irrepressible force.

Imagination Fridays participants can order signed copies of the books featured at https://shop.uabookstore.arizona.edu/main/wildcats/TFOB/Children.

Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW.
Panelists: Christina Soontornvat
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

Head shot of Christina Soontornvat smiling in an outdoor environment.

Photo credit: Sam Bond Photography

Christina Soontornvat grew up behind the counter of her parents’ Thai restaurant in a small Texas town with her nose stuck in a book. She is the author of the fantasy middle grade series, The Changelings, and the early chapter book series, Diary of an Ice Princess. Her books published in 2020 include the middle grade fantasy, A Wish in the Dark, and All Thirteen. In addition to being an author, Christina holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Science Education. She spent a decade working in the science museum field, where she designed programs and exhibits to get kids excited about science. She is passionate about STEM (science, technology engineering, and math), and loves learning new things. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, two young children and one old cat.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs Fridays from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2020 with a different author or illustrator each week. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with Adam Rex

a child with a cat, rabbit, scissors and other things stuck in their hair because of gum.How do you get gum out of your hair – a pair of scissors? Butter? The cat? Call your aunt – she’ll know what to do. She doesn’t? Try the fire department! In this book, the best intentions lead to some of the worst (and funniest) ideas! With each page turn, this situation – relatable to any family – grows stickier and more desperate. Discover the solution to this sticky situation! At this event, Tucson’s Adam Rex will talk about On Account of the Gum and invite children to complete an activity.

Imagination Fridays participants can order signed copies of the books featured at https://shop.uabookstore.arizona.edu/main/wildcats/TFOB/Children.

Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW.
Panelists: Adam Rex
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

Portrait of Adam RexAdam Rex is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich. His other books include The True Meaning of Smekday (which was made into the hit animated movie Home), Moonday and School’s First Day of School (illustrated by Christian Robinson). He also illustrated the Brixton Brothers series, Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem, Chloe and the Lion, and How This Book Was Made, all by Mac Barnett, and Chu’s Day, by Neil Gaiman. Visit him at AdamRex.com or follow him on Twitter @MrAdamRex.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs Fridays from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2020 with a different author or illustrator each week. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with David Bowles and Charlene Bowles

Join us for an amazing adventure! At this event, David and Charlene will talk about their graphic novel, Rise of the Halfling King. This middle grade graphic novel follows the adventures of a magical boy from Maya mythology and is the first of a series based on ancient Mesoamerican myths and legends. After their presentation, Davide and Charlene will invite children to complete an activity.

Imagination Fridays participants can order signed copies of the books featured at https://shop.uabookstore.arizona.edu/main/wildcats/TFOB/Children.

Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW.
Panelists: David Bowles and Charlene Bowles
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

David Bowles author portraitDavid Bowles is a Mexican-American author from south Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas Río Grande Valley. He has written several titles, most notably The Smoking Mirror (Pura Belpré Honor Book) and They Call Me Güero (Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, Claudia Lewis Award for Excellence in Poetry, Pura Belpré Honor Book, Walter Dean Myers Honor Book).

Charlene Bowles is a comic artist and illustrator living in Texas. She graduated from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2018. Her work has been featured on the covers of the award-winning Garza Twins books. Rise of the Halfling King is her debut graphic novel. She is currently developing her own comic projects.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs Fridays from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2020 with a different author or illustrator each week. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Imagination Friday with Jon Scieszka and Steven Weinberg

Watch (or re-watch) Imagination Friday with Jon Scieszka and Steven Weinberg below!

AstroNuts cover depicts characters AlphaWolf, SmartHawk, LaserShark and StinkBug on the Plant Planet with plants on the horizon and a starry sky.Meet the author and illustrator of AstroNuts, a new series by Jon Scieszka and Steven Weinberg. This laugh-out-loud series with jet-propelled zaniness also has a serious side with facts about climate change and the environment. This high-energy book contains full-color collages and follows the AstroNuts on a new mission to find a planet fit for human life after we have finally made the Earth unlivable. Jon and Steven will talk about the two books in this new series, invite children to write and draw their own mission and answer questions.

Make your own story with collage art! Try the activity from this Imagination Friday by visiting this page on the AstroNuts website: https://www.astronuts.space/make-your-own-art. Download their templates, put them together in your own way with your own story and then email your art to us at wow@email.arizona.edu. We will share them with Jon and Steven. Maybe your art will be included on the AstroNuts website!

Host: Kathy Short, Professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies and Director of WOW.
Panelists: Jon Scieszka and Steven Weinberg
Co-Sponsor: Tucson Festival of Books

Jon Scieszka is best known for his bestselling picture books, including The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! and The Stinky Cheese Man. He is also the founder of guysread.com and a champion force behind guyslisten.com, and was the first National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature. He lives in Brooklyn.

Steven Weinberg writes and illustrates kids’ books about dinosaurs, roller coasters, beards and chainsaws. He lives in the Catskills in New York.

Imagination Friday is co-sponsored by the Tucson Festival of Books and Worlds of Words, University of Arizona College of Education and occurs Fridays from 1 to 1:40 p.m. through December 2020 with a different author or illustrator each week. Add some excitement to Fridays with world-renowned children’s authors and illustrator to promote new books and encourage children as readers, writers and illustrators.

Tucson Festival of Books logo with sponsors listed

Register for our next Imagination Friday with Rashin Kheiriyeh!