This labor day weekend consider spending your time celebrating outstanding authors at the AJC Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, GA. Hundreds of authors for both adults and children will speak at multiple venues in downtown Decatur. There are also book-related vendors and many kid-friendly activities. There will be a parade for kids on both days: one parade for the author of Llama, Llama Red Pajama and one parade for the author of Ladybug Girl. There aren’t many opportunities like this to see so many award-winning authors in one place and it’s right in our backyard.

I’ve attended this event for the past 3 years, and it only gets better each year.  This year at the Target Children’s Stage you can meet National Book Award winner Jeanne Birdsall, National Book Award finalist Deborah Wiles, Newbery Honor winner Ingrid Law, popular graphic novel artist/author DJ Steinberg, the author of Sisters Grimm and NERDS Michael Buckley, the author of Peter and the Starcatchers Ridley Pearson, and the list goes on and on.

There will even be an interactive scavenger hunt where festival goers can “check-in” using a mobile phone app.  The hunt will take players through many festival events and downtown Decatur landmarks.  You can learn more about the festival by visiting the festival website.  For a little taste of what the children’s stage is like you can view clips from past festivals here and here and here.