2020’s Hudson Children’s Book Festival set for Saturday, May 2nd Has Been Cancelled.

About the Hudson Childrens’ Book Festival

The Hudson Children’s Book Festival, established in 2009, is held each year in the historic city of Hudson, NY, and strives to create, sustain, and nurture a culture of literacy in partnership with our community and schools. This free, public event fosters a love of reading as families meet and greet world-class creators of books for children of all ages.

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that, in conjunction with our superintendent of schools, we have decided to cancel the 2020 Hudson Children’s Book Festival. In addition, several of you had planned on coming into our schools for author visits prior to the festival, and we have to cancel those visits, as well.

It is the highlight of our year, and we look forward to hosting this event. We are deeply disappointed to have to make this decision, but we feel it is in the best interest of all those involved in making the festival possible.

We will hold your spot for our 2021 event which will be scheduled for Saturday, May 1st. We will plan on getting back in touch with all of you towards the end of summer to confirm your participation for 2021. We will also be using the same poster that Brendan Wenzel beautifully illustrated for 2021.

We wish all of you health in these uncertain times, and we will look forward to hosting you all in 2021.

The 11th annual Hudson Children’s Book Festival was a roaring success!

The 2019 Hudson Children’s Book Festival was a wonderful event filled to the brim with authors, books, children and families. Eighty-two children’s and young adult authors came together to inspire the love of reading and writing for people of all ages. Seymour Simon, whom the New York Times called, “the dean of the children’s science field,” who has written over 300 highly acclaimed science books, was crowned this year’s “Literary Lion” by the Hudson Literacy Fund. In addition to Seymour, we had so many amazingly talented authors such as Salina Yoon, Jerry Craft, James Preller, Nikki Grimes, Veera Hiranandani, Tony Abbott, Jane Yolen, Matt Phelan, Heidi Stemple….the list goes on! Our community room was bustling with organizations representing various community resources for children and families. Assemblywoman, Didi Barrett, and and Congressman, Antonio Delgado, made an appearance at the festival as well! Science experiments from Camp Invention, moon photos provided by Molinski Photography, and music provided by DJ Maria Vavrina rounded out the experience for all festival attendees. The 11th annual Hudson Children’s Book Festival was a roaring success. Mark your calendars for our 12th annual event on Saturday, May 2, 2020.

Our Featured Author for the 2020 Book Festival – Jerry Craft!

Jerry was recently honored with the The John Newbery Medal. The John Newbery Medal is given to “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children” by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).

JERRY CRAFT is an author and illustrator. New Kid is his middle grade graphic novel that has earned five starred reviews, including one from Booklist magazine, which called it “possibly one of the most important graphic novels of the year.” Kirkus Reviews called it “an engrossing, humorous, and vitally important graphic novel that should be required reading in every middle school in America.”

He is the creator of Mama’s Boyz, a comic strip that was distributed by King Features Syndicate from 1995-2013, and won five African American Literary Awards. Jerry is a co-founder of the Schomburg’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival. He was born in Harlem and grew up in nearby Washington Heights. He is a graduate of The Fieldston School and received his B.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts. Visit him online at www.jerrycraft.net.

New Kid (HarperCollins) Starred reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly. Featured in Horn Books, NY Times Book Review. NAIBA’s Book of the Year Award. NEIBA Book Award. Junior Library Guild Selection. 2019 Harvey Award Nominee.

Authors & Illustrators — Would you like to participate in the 2020 Festival?

Our application process is now closed and we are no longer accepting any author applications.

Download and complete the Application!

How to Contact the Book Festival

Email: HCBF@hudsoncsd.org

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2020 Poster!

Our 2020 poster is now available — click to view/download.

Fundraisers!

Support the Festival
Through out the year, HCBF holds fundraisers to benefit the festival. You’ll find information about them posted here and our Facebook page!

Fun Facts

Did You Know?
The Hudson Children’s Book Festival is one of the biggest book festivals in New York State!

Listen to our Festival Song!

Junior High School music teacher, Marylou Knull and a group of talented Jr/Sr High students wrote the lyrics and music for the official Hudson Children’s Book Festival song, Inside a Book, and recorded it at Henry Hirsch’s Waterfront Recording Studio! Click the link to listen!

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