BAM! FESTIVAL
2024 SCHEDULE

Take part in this interactive book walk. An all day event, you can join the author doing a special book walk at 11:00.

In a world where self image is everything, how do we come to accept who we are and love ourselves? Listen as these authors discuss their characters' journeys to embracing every part of themselves.

Have you ever thought about writing a book? Well, so did the teens on this panel…and they did! Learn how they wrote and published their own books, all before graduating high school.

BAM! Festival 2024 will be hosting a drawing for a free book! Put your name in with one of the special bookmarks on the day of the event. Winner will also be announced on social media, and the winner will have until end of day to claim their prize.

Do you love graphic novels? Comic books? Then this is the panel for you! Listen as these authors share all the details on how to write them, and the importance of these books in literature for young people.

Whether they hoot, howl, or hiss, this panel is all about animals! Listen as author Bob L. Forbes reads some of his animal poetry, as illustrators Germán Blanco and Jamiel Law create their own beastly drawings to go along.

In this interactive drawing/collaging panel, kids learn tips from the pros, then design self-portraits, alongside illustrators, that feature their own unique characteristics that make them special. Enjoy participants' creations as everyone shares their designs.

Middle school can be scary, but everyone goes through it. Listen to these authors discuss their middle school years and offer tips and tricks. You might even see a few of their “embarrassing” yearbook pictures!

Watch as contestants play book-related theater-game-style games by pulling prompts out of a hat. Listen to them tell inside jokes, do interpretive dances, and share literary secrets to be crowned the Crayola King, Queen, or Monarch by our reigning Queen, Carmen Oliver. Who will be awarded the highly-coveted crown of crayons?

It’s not just about romance! A lot of young people are tired of seeing JUST the love interests go on adventures and defeat evil. These authors deliver stories where secondary characters’ relationships matter and shine too!

What makes a hero? What makes a villain? Learn how these authors write about the characters we love, and those we love to hate.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to create a picture book? Listen as these authors discuss their process, characters, inspiration, and all that it takes to make a picture book, then use what you’ve learned to make your own! Authors will share tips and ideas to help participants create characters and story ideas, which will be used to write and illustrate their own books.

Love wins! Come hear from these authors what it means to be queer, or a queer ally, in today's day and age, and how that translates into the books we love that promote love for all!

Ever wanted to invite your favorite character to your slumber party? Well, we can’t do that, but at this panel, you get to ask the questions! The consequences if our authors don’t answer: they must showcase a weird talent! Find out everything you want to know about these writers and their books.

Join these authors as they discuss everything from today's views on books, what they're working on, what they're reading, and what people should be reading.

Enter this free writing contest for a chance to come back to BAM! Festival 2025 as a published author! Author Stephen Kozan will start you off with a few writing warm-ups to help get you on your way to enter the flash fiction challenge. One entry will be selected as the winner, and the winning writer will receive the opportunity to craft, edit, and publish a book with Mr. Kozan’s own publishing company!

Cheer on some of your favorite authors/illustrators as they compete in a kid-judged, live-action drawing competition where you help decide what masterpieces our experts will create. As a bonus, learn more about their most recent books and what makes them tick! *Illustrators will ask the audience for examples when drawing–what character to create and the stories they would be in.

It's hard being a teenager, and talking about mental health is not always easy, but it's important to know that you are not alone. In this open and candid discussion, authors share how they delve into serious subject matter and write characters that let us know we are not alone.

Behind every great book is an even greater team! Learn how this dynamic author-illustrator (and married) duo work together to create everything from toys and games, to captivating characters and books that children won’t want to put down. Signing session to follow.

Books are filled with adventures! Listen as these authors discuss the adventures in their books, then work together to craft your own adventure in an interactive, finish-the-story improvisation activity. Authors will lead participants in the creation of an impromptu story. Will there be a princess? A zombie? Or perhaps a zombie princess? No one knows, but a great adventure awaits and you won’t want to miss it!

David Arnold (M), Neal Shusterman Stacy Stokes, Brittany N. Williams

From faraway galaxies to mystical worlds, these authors create books that take readers to other realms. Learn their secrets to world-building and creating compelling characters, and how real-life, contemporary issues shape these make-believe worlds.