AASL 2025 National Conference to Feature Renowned Authors in Dynamic Panels

CHICAGO - The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will host its 2025 National Conference in St. Louis, October 16-18, 2025, featuring a robust lineup of celebrated authors and illustrators who will lead engaging panel discussions on a range of literary topics. These sessions will provide attendees with a rare opportunity to hear directly from their favorite and new authors.

Author co-chair, Mia Gittlen, said, “There’s nothing like the energy of having dozens of incredible authors together at AASL National. These conversations remind us why we do what we do, connecting young people with stories that change lives.”

From Friday, October 17, through Saturday, October 18, authors will lead panels exploring themes such as resilience, science literacy, identity, visual storytelling, and the power of hope in literature. To register, visit national.aasl.org. 

“Authors and school librarians share a common mission: to nurture a love of reading,” said author co-chair Shannon Gile. “Having so many authors at AASL National creates opportunities for authentic collaboration and inspiration that ripple far beyond the conference.”

Sessions include:

• “Brave New Worlds: Resilience, Imagination, and the Power of Young Protagonists”
• “Adventures in Science: Inspiring Young Readers to Explore, Discover, and Protect Our World”
• “Rooted in Story: Celebrating Identity, Legacy, and Joy in Children’s Literature”
• “STEM Readers to Budding Writers: Using Nonfiction Mentor Texts to Engage and Inspire Students”
• “Strong at the Broken Places: Writing Resilience in Middle-Grade Fiction”
• “Smart, Brave & Totally Unstoppable: Empowering Kids Through Adventure and Imagination”
• “Finding Hope Through Story”
• “Drawn to Story: Emotion, Identity, and Imagination in Visual Narratives”
• “Becoming Herself: Power, Identity, and Healing in Girls’ Coming-of-Age Stories”
• “Storytelling That Sticks: Inspiring Young Minds & Honest Hearts”
• “Stories That Shape Us: Identity, Empathy, and Curiosity in Children’s Literature”

For a complete list of session descriptions, visit Author Panels @ AASL25.

Author panelists include (supporting exhibitor noted in parentheses):

• Olivia Abtahi (Penguin Young Readers)
• Laurie Halse Anderson (Simon & Schuster)
• Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (Random House Children’s Books)
• Stephanie Bearce (Shadow Mountain)
• Nell Cross Beckerman (Scholastic)
• Jeffrey Bennett (Big Kid Science)
• Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Penguin Young Readers)
• Nigel Buchanan (Publish Creative)
• Sydney Dunlap (Follett Content)
• Erin Soderberg Downing (Scholastic)
• Megan E. Freeman (Simon & Schuster)
• Stuart Gibbs (Simon & Schuster)
• McCall Hoyle (Shadow Mountain)
• O. C. Jaime (World of Thunders Books)
• Tae Keller (Random House Children’s Books)
• Lindsay Leslie (Sleeping Bear Press)
• Torrey Maldonado (Penguin Young Readers)
• Daniel Miyares (Random House Children’s Books)
• Frank Murphy (Sleeping Bear Press)
• Jennifer A. Nielsen (Scholastic)
• Raymond M. Patterson Jr. (Little Life Skills)
• James Ponti (Simon & Schuster)
• Sherri L. Smith (Penguin Young Readers)
• Roland Smith (Sleeping Bear Press)
• Charles R. Smith Jr. (Scholastic)
• Mika Song (Random House Children’s Books)
• Yves Stening (Publish Creative)
• Christopher Stewart (Lerner)
• Melissa Stewart (Scholastic)
• Steve Stinson (Stinson Art)
• Ali Terese (Simon & Schuster)
• Megan Walker (Shadow Mountain)
• Tony Weaver Jr. (Mackin)
• Judd Winick (Random House Children’s Books)
• Lauren Wolk (Penguin Young Readers)

These sessions are designed to spark conversation, deepen attendees' understanding of the craft, and foster connections between authors and attendees. Panelists will explore how stories can foster empathy, resilience, curiosity, and identity in young readers, while providing attendees with strategies to incorporate these values into their own work.

The AASL National Conference is the only national conference dedicated solely to the needs of school librarians and their roles as educational leaders. A one-of-a-kind conference, the 2025 AASL National Conference will feature daily keynotes, more than 150 concurrent sessions, author panels, research into practice sessions, more than 120 exhibitors, the best practice IdeaLab, poster presentations, author signings, and endless networking opportunities. Content provided at the conference will be rooted in AASL's National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries.

The American Association of School Librarians (www.aasl.org), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.