Last week, three of Old Town Books’ booksellers were able to attend the 8th annual Children’s Institute Conference, held by the American Bookseller’s Association.

All three of us, Abby Bennsky, Jen Cheng, and Hilary Barrineau, had different and yet unified experience. Please enjoy our individual experiences as written in our own words, as well as a sneak peak at children’s and YA books being published in the next few months!

Abby Bennsky

Before the world entered the nightmare state in which we currently live, I had the pleasure of attending the American Bookseller Associations 15th Annual Winter Institute, a yearly conference for independent booksellers all over the country to converge on one unsuspecting city -- in this year’s case, we were lucky and it was just a few hours away in Baltimore-- to discuss all things books: new releases, upcoming trends, and various business models used by stores both big and small. 

As someone who was moderately aware of the book world before working in a bookstore, I knew such conferences existed but more so on the large scale of Book Expo, held in New York every year. Winter Institute is smaller yes, but still overwhelming in only the way an introvert can find it. 

The sessions I went to included a Bookseller Bootcamp, for stores just starting out, a panel discussing time management, a Q & A on pre-order campaigns, and a discussion on creating profitable events, to only name a few. Most of these panels and discussions were held in packed hotel ballrooms or meeting rooms, with nine or ten people spread out around a big table. Certain meals were covered by the conference, so we’d line up, nudging and pushing in the politest way a bookseller can, as we all took giant cookies from a serving tray and handed the salad tongs to the next person in line. I know, it sounds crazy when you think about it now. But, I swear, it happened. 

And I’m sure any of you can see how impossible it would be to hold a similar conference now, mere months later. But, originally, that was what was supposed to happen. The 8th Children’s conference was set to take place in Tucson Arizona this past week. But, instead of finding myself with a full schedule of heading from room to room in an Arizona convention center, I found myself sitting in front of my laptop. This year, Children's Institute was virtual and my experience was a lot different. 

To accommodate multiple time zones, instead of an introductory meeting at 9am, the first session started at 11am. Us East Coasters were cheering for the change in schedule, but I’m not sure those on the West Coast were as excited. Either way, we all logged onto the software and started using the chat function to greet each other and represent our respective stores. “Hi from Rebel Heart Books in Oregon!” “This is Susan, from Pages Bookshop in Detroit. I’ve got my coffee and cat and I’m ready to go!” Despite the change of pace, everyone seemed excited just to interact with other book people once more. The phrase, “I wish we were together in person,” couldn’t have been uttered enough. 

My favorite session was definitely the first, titled “Representation in Science Fiction and Fantasy Young Adult and Middle Grade Books.” Together with an American Sign Language interpreter, the conversation featured the authors Ebony Elizabeth Thomas (The Dark Fantastic: Race and Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games), Dhonielle Clayton (the Belles series), and Tracy Deonn (Legendborn, pub. Sep 2020).

I was originally worried how the conference would go, considering it was all through a zoom-like format and I don’t think I’m the only one feeling very burnt out from video chatting. But all the sessions and meetings, including the first one, felt easy and fun, like I was privy to a conversation between friends who felt comfortable enough to discuss their thoughts and feelings openly. 

The second day was also a lot of fun, as it was a full day spent discussing the up and coming children’s books for the Fall and Winter Season. Below are some of my favorites and they can all be preordered at oldtownbooks.com.

You Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson

Becky Albertalli meets Jenny Han in a smart, hilarious, black girl magic, own voices rom-com by a staggeringly talented new writer.

Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it's okay -- Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz's plans come crashing down . . . until she's reminded of her school's scholarship for prom king and queen. There's nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she's willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She's smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

Howl by Kat Patrick

Howl is a masterfully told and exquisitely drawn story of a young girl’s way of expressing and resolving big feelings.

Maggie has had a very bad day.

First of all, the sun was the wrong shape, in a sky that was too blue. The spaghetti was too long, and her pajamas were the wrong kind of pajama.

Then Maggie begins to have wolfish thoughts ...

Unlimited Squirrels: I Want to Sleep Under the Stars by Mo Willems

Mo Willems, creator of the revolutionary, award-winning, best-selling Elephant & Piggie books, has another breakout beginning-reader series. An ensemble cast of Squirrels, Acorns, and pop-in guests hosts a page-turning extravaganza. Each book features a funny, furry adventure AND bonus jokes, quirky quizzes, nutty facts, and so, so many Squirrels.

In I Want to Sleep Under the Stars, Zoom Squirrel dreams of sleeping under the night stars. The Squirrel pals are excited to help! But will their encouragement be enough-or too much? Do you know more about sleeping under the stars than the Squirrels do? You will by the end of this book!

All in all, it was a pared down version of the conference I attended in February except it allowed me the freedom to fold laundry in between sessions and didn’t leave me feeling nearly as mentally-exhausted as Winter Institute. I still learned a lot, if simply through being around fellow book sellers who shared their various experiences both from before the pandemic and how they’re coping now. The general attitude was that of resilience, as each store participating is in a different spot in their reopening journey but are all eager to do what they do best: Sell books, highlight authors, and simply enjoy their customers. 

Hilary Barrineau

Regarding Ci8, I missed the interaction with authors and fellow booksellers. That must explain why my favorite session was Indies Introduce Debut Authors. I've heard a lot of buzz about Tracy Deonn's Legendborn.

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes (Golden Shovel Poetry) and Lilliam Rivera's Never Look Back, an Orpheus retelling, were standouts from my Bloomsbury Rep Picks session.

With so much upheaval in the world, I found comfort in the continuity of upcoming releases from favorite authors including Jason Reynolds (Long Way Down graphic novel,) Jacqueline Woodson (Before the Ever After,) Doreen Cronin (Click, Clack, Good Night,) and Jessica Love (Julian at the Wedding) as well as debuts such as Lions & Cheetahs & Rhinos OH MY!.

Jen Cheng

This year's Children's Institute had a focus on diversity and antiracism, very much in tune with current events.  I very much missed in-person interactions with colleagues, sales reps and authors, but I appreciated the chance to attend virtually.  

I enjoyed the conversation between Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft, who are two of only five Black authors to win Newbery Awards.  Alexander won the Newbery in 2015 for his verse novel The Crossover, and Craft won the most recent Newbery for his graphic novel New Kid.  They discussed their childhoods and their own children, and what the Newbery has meant to them through the years.  

I also attended a few Rep Picks presentations, where sales reps from different publishers highlighted the  upcoming Fall children's books they were most excited about.  

There were many books to consider, but I'm particularly excited for Old Town Books to get copies of Our World: A First Book of Geography by Sue Lowell Gallion, published by Phaidon.  It's beautifully illustrated and it has an ingenious design where when the book is opened up and folded back, it creates a freestanding globe! 

I'm also looking forward to Skunk and Badger, which will be released by Algonquin Young Readers in mid-September.  It's supposed to have a Wallace and Grommit-like odd couple character pairing.  It's written by Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake and illustrated by none other than Jon Klassen, the Caldecott Medalist responsible for I Want My Hat Back.  Sounds like a winning team!