Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week to teach poetry, and she has been a writer ever since. Her New York Times bestselling novel in verse, ALONE, won the Colorado Book Award, the Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Vermont children’s book awards, is an NCTE Notable Verse Novel, and is included on over two dozen "best of" and state reading lists. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet, and her poetry chapbook, Lessons on Sleeping Alone, was published by Liquid Light Press. 

An award-winning teacher with decades of classroom experience, Megan taught multiple subjects across the arts and humanities to students K-16, and she is nationally recognized for presenting workshops and speaking to audiences across the country. She studied theater and dramatic literature for many years, earning degrees from Occidental College and the Ohio State University.

Megan is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Northern Colorado Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Columbine Poets of Colorado, and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. She is an Impact on Education Award winner, a fellow with the Colorado State University Writing Project, a Fund for Teachers fellow, and a member of the Colorado Poets Center. She used to live in northeast Los Angeles, central Ohio, northern Norway, and on Caribbean cruise ships. Now she divides her time between northern Colorado and the Texas Gulf Coast.

Megan will present the keynote at the Friday Awards Banquet and one session on Saturday, November 9. She will accept the 2024 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award at the Readers' Choice Lunch.

• "Wild and Precious: Meeting Readers on the Page" (Awards Banquet keynote):  Winner of the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award for ALONE, bestselling author Megan E. Freeman will share how her visits and conversations with young readers around the country have expanded her understanding of the intricate collaboration between readers and authors, and how verse and hybrid novels invite active engagement with imaginative and co-creative storytelling.

• "Reach More Readers with Novels in Verse" (Concurrent Session): Are you intrigued by all the novels in verse that are finding their way into the marketplace? Come explore how verse novels can engage reluctant and enthusiastic readers and writers, and discover ways to discuss key differences between verse and prose. Participants will leave the session with an annotated bibliography of contemporary verse novels, a deeper understanding of the differences between verse and prose, and resources that can be immediately implemented in classrooms and/or library programming.

Jonathan Hunt is the Coordinator of Library Media Services at the San Diego County Office of Education. He also serves as the Teacher Librarian Program Coordinator at San Jose State University. In his spare time, he enjoys reading young adult literature.

Jonathan will present two pre-conference sessions on Thursday, November 7.

• "Best 2024 Books for High School": This workshop will cover about 120 of the best books for high school students published in the past year. We'll cover a variety of genres and discuss ways to connect these books to young readers and the school curriculum.

• "Best 2024 Books for Middle School": This workshop will cover about 120 of the best books for middle school students published in the past year. We'll cover a variety of genres and discuss ways to connect these books to young readers and the school curriculum.

Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr are author/illustrator, husband/wife creators of illustrated middle grade novels and picture books. They also run the literacy access initiative Busload of Books.

They spent the 2022-23 school year living and traveling in a 23-foot tiny home school bus (with four kids, two dogs, and no bathroom), visiting Title I elementary schools in all 50 states, doing free assemblies, and donating hardcover books to 25,000 students and teachers. In partnership with Washington College, they facilitated the first large-scale research study of how author/illustrator visits impact the literacy attitudes of elementary students. 

Robbi and Matthew live in an old barn on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and spend their summers running an off-grid commercial salmon fishing operation on the Alaskan tundra.

Their work includes: two illustrated middle grade series (The Cookie Chronicles and The Real McCoys trilogy), three picture books (Sunrise Summer, Everywhere, Wonder, and Babies Ruin Everything), and the forthcoming novel Life on the Moon.

Sara Clarke-DeReza is an Assistant Professor of Education, Washington College; Head of the Busload of Books Research Team.

Sara spends her research-life trying to figure out how to create amazing learning experiences in the places where schools meet communities. In her teaching-life, she’s worked in middle and high school classrooms, as a curriculum coordinator, and even (briefly!) as a school principal. At Washington College, she teaches courses in the historical, cultural, and psychological foundations of American education. In her life-life, she’s a mom, a dog-mom, a maker-of-things, and a collector of thrift store art. 

This power trio will present a concurrent session and the conference-closing general session on Saturday, November 9.

• "Moving the Dial on Literacy Attitudes: The exciting results of a landmark study on the impact of author/illustrator visits and book giveaways" (Concurrent Session): Author/illustrator, husband/wife duo Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr spent the 2022-2023 school year on the Busload of Books Tour—bringing free books and creative programing to Title I schools in all fifty states. In partnership with the Department of Education at Washington College, they conducted the first-ever, large-scale study of how author/illustrator visits impact elementary student attitudes about reading, writing, and drawing. In this session, Robbi and Matthew will be joined by research team director Dr. Sara Clarke-De Reza to dig into the (incredibly exciting) findings—and invite participants to brainstorm how they might best be used to inform policy, shape curriculum, and spur funding and legitimacy for author/illustrator visits and other literacy interventions. Data-fueled discussions will include: the undeniable value of books in the classroom and home, evidence of untapped student enthusiasm for reading, the importance of nurturing literacy early, and the wisdom of including writing and drawing as viable pathways to “literacy”. www.busloadofbooks.com/research

• "One Year. Fifty States. 25,000 Free Books." (General Session):  What two creators learned from spending a year in America’s public schools.": Author/illustrator, husband/wife duo Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr spent the 2022-2023 school year on an epic, literacy-fueled, 34,000-mile adventure called the Busload of Books Tour—bringing free creative programming, books, and “reading buddy” teddy bears to 25,000 students and teachers at Title I elementary schools in all 50 states.
  
  Join Robbi and Matthew as they talk about their project—why they did it, what they learned, the partnerships and twists of fate that made it possible, and how (and why) the work will continue.
  
  They’ll share highlights of traveling with four kids, two dogs, and no bathroom in a 23-foot converted school bus. They’ll tell stories of heroic teachers and librarians going all-out to create opportunities for their students. They’ll share tips and tricks about hosting (and running) a successful school visit.
  
  They’ll share the results of the research study they conducted in partnership with Washington College, demonstrating (for the first time at large scale) the clear impact of author/illustrator visits on elementary student attitudes about reading, writing, and drawing. They’ll lead a crowd-sourced brainstorm session—demonstrating the power of collaborative storytelling to solve problems, raise smiles, and spark imagination.
  
  Robbi and Matthew will answer your questions. They’ll applaud your efforts. They’ll remind you why your work is so important—and of the incredible difference you make every day.

Liza Wiemer is an award-winning educator with over twenty years of teaching experience. Her second novel, The Assignment, was published by Delacorte Press and has received 12 honors, including being named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book. To date, The Assignment has also been translated to Russian, Polish, Italian, and Korean and has been optioned for film. In addition, Liza has had two adult nonfiction books published and several short stories included in the New York Times bestselling Small Miracles series. Since August 2020, she has presented over 600 talks and workshops across the globe. She’s been interviewed by media outlets like NPR, BBC, ABC, and gave a TedXTalk at the UW-Madison. Her debut picture book, Out and About: A Tale of Giving, was published by Kalaniot Books in August 2023. A graduate of UW-Madison, Liza has two married sons and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband, Jim.

Liza will present the Opening Keynote and a follow-up concurrent session on Friday, November 8. 

• "Educating, Advocating, Making a Difference: Fostering Upstanders in a Divided World" (Opening Keynote): In this interactive keynote address, Liza Wiemer, award-winning educator and Lincoln Award nominee of The Assignment, will share her research and insights on how popular culture, societal pressures, and social media promote hatred, bigotry, and injustice and how to counteract their impact to create a school environment that fosters upstanders.

• "Fostering Upstanders" (Concurrent Session): Award-winning educator and Lincoln Award nominee of The Assignment, Liza Wiemer, will answer questions from her keynote address, help navigate school-related issues, and share literature to promote upstanders. Resources and information to apply for free classroom sets of The Assignment based on availability will be provided.