Discussing banned books, representation in children's literature, and the Rochester Children's Book Festival

By Evan Dawson,

Published November 1, 2023 at 2:27 PM EDT

(foreground) Vicki Schultz, Leslie C. Youngblood, (background) Linda Sue Park, and Sarah Mead on "Connections" — (foreground) Vicki Schultz, Leslie C. Youngblood, (background) Linda Sue Park, and Sarah Mead on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Wednesday, November 1, 2023

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

We discuss book bans and young adult literature as we preview the Rochester Children’s Book Festival. This year’s event is set for November 4 at Monroe Community College and includes more than 50 authors and illustrators.

Our guests this hour explore a number of themes related to free speech, literacy, representation in literature, and more. Our guests:

Vicki Schultz, co-director of the Rochester Children's Book Festival from 2017-2022
Sarah Mead, president of the Rochester Area Children's Writers and Illustrators (RACWI) and writer for (585) Magazine and (585) Kids
Linda Sue Park, author of more than 30 books for young readers, including “A Long Walk to Water” and “Prairie Lotus”
Leslie C. Youngblood, author of “Love Like Sky” and “Forever This Summer”