Word Up is hosting Uptown Kid Lit—a mini children’s book festival—in Inwood Hill Park! Stop by for workshops, author readings and signings, story times, and FREE school supplies!

Uptown Kid Lit was originally conceived as a one-day children’s book festival for the Uptown community. In 2019, our first year, we held the fest on a sunny day on Pat’s Lawn in Inwood Hill Park, welcoming 27 authors, a dozen community groups, and 1,000+ kids and their families. In 2020, Uptown Kid Lit had been reimagined as virtual programming throughout the summer with a daily virtual summer camp with a dozen Uptown arts and culture organizations, a book club for youth ages 13-25 and story time in the park. Last year we shifted our focus to comics and held Uptown Comics Fest. This year we’re bringing the mini children’s book festival back to the park!

Featured authors & artists:

Jennifer Baker (Forgive Me Not)
Gabriel Castillo (PALMA SOLA Liborio Mateo, El Origen)
Ella Céron (Viva Lola Espinoza)
Stacy Davidowitz (Chance to Fly, Camp Rolling Hills series)
Michael Diaz (@JuanBago)
Melisa Fernández Nitsche (Cantora: Mercedes Sosa, the Voice of Latin America)
Jerise Fogel (Plants of My Neighborhood / Plantas de mi Barrio)
Reynaldo García Pantaleon
Jyoti Gupta (Different Differenter: An Activity Book About Skin Color)
Ellen Hagan (All That Shines)
Victor LaValle (Victor LaValle’s Destroyer, Lone Women)
Luz Maria Mack (The Secret of the Plátano / El Secreto del Plátano)
Alexandra V. Méndez (What the Jaguar Told Her)
Lissette Norman (Plátanos Go with Everything / Los plátanos van con todo)
Margaret Peot (The Science of Light: Things that Shine, Flash, and Glow)
Alyssa Reynoso-Morris (Plátanos Are Love)
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (Makeda Makes a Birthday Treat, Operation Sisterhood)
Jorge Santos (Soy Bella)

Full schedule coming soon!

LOCATION: Pat’s Lawn is located at the northwest corner of Inwood Hill Park off of Indian Road and 218th Street in Inwood, NYC. You can take the A to 207 St., the Bx7 to 218th St., and the M100 to Broadway and W 220 St.

ACCESSIBILITY: The closest entrance to the venue at 218th Street and Indian Road is wheelchair accessible. The event is on a grass lawn. Masks are required for this event and people are encouraged to socially distance themselves.

SPONSORSHIPS: If you would like to be a sponsor of this event, please email us at UptownReads@WordUpBooks.com. Sponsors will be featured in our promotional materials.