2026 Festival Recap
Kids Lit Fest 2026 was a huge success! Thank you to all of our partner locations, participating authors, and sponsors who made the third annual festival possible. We were able to reach around 1,200 kids and their caregivers through dozens of events all over Western Massachusetts.
Note: This schedule does not include school visits or events with afterschool programs, which are not posted publicly.
2026 Schedule of Events
May 3rd
4:30 PM — Kids Write! Open Mic at Sip413
May 5th
4:00 PM — Monarch and Mourning Cloak: Storytime with author and illustrator Sarah Brannen at Chicopee Public Library
4:00 PM — Cat Nap Storytime with Caldecott Honoree Brian Lies at Forbes Library
MCB Program Manager Karolina Zapal, Author and Illustrator Brian Lies, and Forbes Librarian Sarah Johnson
May 6th
11:30 AM — Princess Battle Royale Storytime with author Phaea Crede at Springfield Museums
3:30 PM — There’s No Place Like Gnome’s storytime and drawing demonstration with author and illustrator Scott Magoon at Sunderland Public Library
3:30 PM — Mac Wears a Hat: Special Storytime with author Vicki Johnson at Richard Salter Storrs Library
May 7th
4:00 PM — Rise Up!: An author event and protest sign-making workshop with Rachel Katz at The Mead Art Museum
May 8th
10:30 AM — Supersquads! An Animal Heroes Storytime with author Heather Lang at The Zoo in Forest Park
4:00 PM —Sprout: A writing workshop with middle grade author Taylor Tyng at Easthampton Public Library Annex with Somehow School.
May 9th
10:30 AM — A Special Springtime Storks storytime with author Carol Munro at The Berkshire Athenaeum
11:00 AM — Flora and the Jazzers Storytime and Draw Along with Astrid Sheckels at Lenox Library
11:00 AM — Kingdom of Dust: An author visit from Lisa Stringfellow at Monson Free Library
11:45 AM — The Great Pollinator Count Storytime and Pollinator Hunt with author Susan Edwards Richmond at The Berkshire Botanical Garden
2:00 PM — Yoshi’s Big Swim Storytime and Turtle Meet-and-Greet with author Mary Wagley Copp at The Hitchcock Center for the Environment
2026 School and Afterschool Partners
Greenfield Middle School & Greenfield Public Library (Greenfield) hosted Christina Uss
Griswold Memorial Library & Colrain Central School (Colrain) hosted Hannah Moushabeck
Holyoke Homework House (Holyoke) hosted Sarah Lynne Reul
Sanderson Academy (Ashfield) hosted Carrie Finison
Springfield High School of Science and Technology (Springfield) hosted Cara Bean
Sunderland Public Library (Sunderland) hosted Scott Magoon
William P. Sapelli Elementary School (Agawam) hosted Cedar Pruitt
Author Phaea Crede and wrestler.
Author Vicki Johnson and friend.
Author and Illustrator Scott Magoon
Author Sarah Lynne Reul and readers.