Name: Author Panel: Signing
Start: 2026-10-16T12:55:00-0700
End: 2026-10-16T13:50:00-0700

Author Panel: Signing

Friday October 16, 2026 12:55pm - 1:50pm PDT

Independence A/B

Speakers

Mae Respicio

Mae Respicio is the award-winning author of over 20 books for young readers, including engaging nonfiction and novels that celebrate all the ways that kids find their place in the world. Mae’s books have received starred reviews, the Asian/Pacific American Library Association Honor... Read More →

Margarita Engle

Writing a historical novel in verse feels like time travel, a dreamlike blend of imagination and reality. It is an exploration. It is also a chance to communicate with the future, through young readers.

I love to write about young people who made hopeful choices in situations that... Read More →

Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young

President Redbud Writers Guild, multicultural author & speaker, podcast host for Hear Women, Redbud Writers Guild

Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young is a published author, speaker, poet, and teacher, who grew up in a multiracial family. Through her storytelling, Dorina loves to help people discover God in creation and the cultures of the world. Dorina is the author of the award-winning picture book, Cora... Read More →

Crystel Patterson

Crystel Patterson, based in Sacramento, CA, is the creator of the Inspired to Be... series, a collection of empowering children's books that amplify positive Black narratives and promote social-emotional learning and growth mindset for kids. As a proud mother, Crystel writes diverse... Read More →

Novella Dean

Novella Dean's passion for storytelling took root in Trinidad and Tobago, her birthplace, where rich folklore is a national treasure. Despite her academic journey leading her to graduate as a scientist, her heart always gravitated towards artistic expressions. The inspiration for... Read More →

Edward Andre Dennis

Who is Edward?He is a visual storyteller who has worked with brands such as Toyota USA, SesameStreet, Mercedes-Benz, Yakima racks, Disney, Giant/Liv Cycling, Shimano, EpicRides, Corel, Anheuser-Busch, Western Union and Giordana cycling. He has beenfeatured in publications such as... Read More →

Jessica Kulekjian

Jessica Kulekjian spent her California childhood climbing trees, swimming, and riding bikes into orchards, where she imagined stories with her friends until the sun went down. As she grew, so did her love of writing, alongside a dream to become an author. Jessica went on to study... Read More →

Amanda Rawson Hill

I grew up in the mountain desert of southwest Wyoming with a library right out my back gate. I can still walk into that library today and feel totally at home.

Today I live in central California, where the miles and miles of orchards and farmland never seem to end, the summers are... Read More →

Joan Schoettler

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where memories of trips to the ocean, picnics in parks, walks through San Francisco, museum visits, and gatherings of family and friends continue to draw me back to my beginnings. Hikes in the Sierra, late dinners on warm summer nights, gardening... Read More →

Lisa Schmid

Lisa Schmid is the author of the middle grade novels Hart & Souls and Ollie Oxley and The Ghost, children's paranormal fantasy adventures filled with heart, humor, friendship, and a touch of mystery. She is also the co-host of the Writers With Wrinkles podcast. When not scaring up... Read More →

Dr. JaNay Brown-Wood

JaNay Brown-Wood, PhD, is an award-winning and New York Times Best-Selling children’s author, poet, educator, scholar, and a former professor of Early Childhood Education and Child Development. Her first children’s book Imani’s Moon won the NAESP Children’s Book of the Year... Read More →

Friday October 16, 2026 12:55pm - 1:50pm PDT
Independence A/B 808 4th Street Clovis, CA 93612

Author Panel

Central Valley Library Camp '26