NEWS RELEASES > JULY 20, 2023
MCHENRY, Ill., July 20, 2023 — Educators from around the country joined several top children’s authors at ReadingCon 2023, staged recently by Follett School Solutions at Northern Illinois University, Naperville Conference Center.
The professional development event featured breakout sessions addressing key topics facilitated by educators, comprised mostly of teachers and librarians, alongside the high-profile authors.
“This was a fabulous day,” said Kate DiCamillo, a two-time Newbery Award-winning author who delivered the keynote address to open the event. “I loved being able to talk to so many educators.”
Other authors in attendance included Laurie Halse Anderson, Derrick Barnes, Andrea Beaty, Jerry Craft, Joanna Ho, Kazu Kibuishi, Sarah Kurpiel, Sara Raasch, Dwayne Reed, Beth Revis, Aisha Saeed, John Schu, Ruth Spiro, Lauren Tarshis, and Carole Boston Weatherford.
“Thank you so much to Follett for inviting me to play along and learn so much,” said Beaty, acclaimed for her series, The Questioneers. “I loved the day and everything being done to get books in the hands of kids!”
ReadingCon ’23, held June 22, also featured a bookstore with author titles for on-site purchases, as well as ample time set aside for author book signings. In addition, participating publishers from Follett’s Premier Partner Program were on site to share their latest titles, meet with the attendees, and provide books that were awarded as prizes during random drawings.
“We heard many times throughout the day that this type of event doesn’t exist elsewhere,” said Britten Follett, CEO of Follett Content Solutions. “Infusing professional development for educators with top-tier authors in an intimate setting, all at an affordable price, proved to be the right blueprint for an event such as this.”
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Media Contact: Doug Thompson | Thompson Drake Public Relations | 541.419.4471 | doug@thompsondrake.com
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