Books & Authors

Using Kidlit to Reach and Engage At-Risk Youth

Saturday, June 25, 2022

9:00am – 10:00am

Location: Washington Convention Center, 159A-B

At-risk young adults in, for instance, foster care or other institutional settings, the un-housed, those who are abused or struggling with poverty, or whose parents are incarcerated or addicted, may be more difficult for librarians to reach, but engaging them with appropriate kid lit from authentic voices whose lived experience mirrors their own can literally be a lifesaver. Five authors — four of whom are 2022 Debuts — will share their experiences as at-risk youth for whom the library was a haven and strategies for reaching and engaging kids like them.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize at-risk youth in, for instance, foster care or other institutional settings, the un-housed, those who are abused or struggling with poverty, or whose parents are incarcerated or addicted.
Create programs to reach at-risk youth.
Understand how to engage at-risk youth with appropriate kid lit.

Main Contact(s)

Susan Azim Boyer

Author
St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books

Speaker(s)

Susan Azim Boyer

Author
St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books
Erik Jon Slangerup

Author
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster
Dannie Olguin

Author
Melange Books / Fire and Ice YA
Lindsay S. Zrull

Author
Flux / North Star Editions Inc.

Moderator(s)

Jenn Bishop

Author
Aladdin / Simon & Schuster