The Tucson Festival of Books has a lot to offer children and teens â from thrilling spy dramas to current events.
For those interested in border issues, teens will want to attend âPower, Truth & Lies: Borders and Immigration,â at 2:30 p.m. March 15, in Education Room 351. Panelists are Tehlor Kay Mejia, Patrice Vecchione and Sylvia ZÊleny.
Mejiaâs books, âWe Unleash the Merciless Stormâ and âWe Set the Dark on Fire,â take place in a divided, Latinx-inspired fantasy world.
Vecchione is an author and poet whose book, âInk Has No Borders,â is a collection from poets all over the world that shares experiences of young adult immigrants and refugees.
ZÊlenyâs book, âThe Everything I Have Lost,â is a fictionalized girlâs diary about growing up in Juarez.
For younger animal lovers, W. Bruce Cameron, author of âA Dogâs Purpose,â âA Dogâs Way Homeâ and âA Dogâs Journey,â all now motion pictures, will talk with young readers about âPuppy Tales,â at 10 a.m. March 15, in Education Room 353.
Those interested in climate change will want to meet Jon Scieszka, who has a middle grade series of books, called âAstroNuts,â about animal astronauts helping with climate change. He will present âChanging the World: A Workshop for Kidsâ at 10 a.m. March 15, in Education Room 349.
Middle grade children and teens who want to be thrilled with spies, detectives and crime fighters will have several opportunities to meet authors.
Spies and Detectives: Intrigue and Mystery, at 1 p.m. on March 14, in Education Room 333, features authors John August, author of the Arlo Finch series; Xavier Garza, author of âMaximilian & the Curse of the Fallen Angelâ and âMaximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angelâ; and James Ponti, author of âCity Spies.â
Dangerous Secrets and Mind-Bending Escapes is at 11:30 a.m. on March 14, in Education Kiva 211. Authors featured are Max Brallier, who writes the âLast Kids on Earthâ series; Ally Carter, author of âWinterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor;â and Trenton Lee Stewart, author of the âMysterious Benedict Societyâ series.
The festival is two months away. Be aware that the schedule may change.



