Events for Kids & Teens at the Library This Fall

As kids and teens settle into the new school year, we’re busy at the Library planning special events for them this fall. We hope you and the kids in your life will join us at one or more of the exciting programs below – and be sure to stay tuned for an announcement of our spring lineup later this year. There’s even more in store!

Programs for Teens/Secondary Students

• To request seats for a student group at either of the events below, email us at [email protected] with your name and the name of your school, the number of students, and grade level(s) represented. Programs are free and open to all.

“Whiteout”: Celebrating Black Teen Love
Thursday, November 10, 10:30 to 11:30 am, Coolidge Auditorium, Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building (onsite only)

Join bestselling, all-star authors Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon for a discussion of their new novel of Black teen love, “Whiteout,” a sequel to “Blackout.” The program will be moderated by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Please note that this book is recommended for ages 13-17.

Closing Celebration for National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jason Reynolds
Tuesday, December 13, 10:30 am to noon, Coolidge Auditorium, Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building & Livestreamed on YouTube

Join New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds, the Librarian of Congress, and other special guests for an immersive, reflective, and celebratory event to close Reynolds’s tenure as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. The program will include a conversation featuring two local students, an interpretation of a Short Edition story written by a student in rural America during Reynolds’s third year, and a brief performance from members of a local high school marching band.

• The first ten teachers to register their group will receive a free signed copy of Jason Reynolds’s “Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks” for their class’s library!

Programs for Families

Celebrate 30 Years of Goosebumps and Magic Treehouse with R.L. Stine and Mary Pope Osborne
Saturday, October 22 at 2 pm – Coolidge Auditorium, Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building & Livestreamed on YouTube

Get in the mood for Halloween with bestselling authors R.L. Stine (the master of spookiness and spine-tingles) and Mary Pope Osborne (the wizard of imagination and adventure). Doors will open at 1 pm for seating.

Featured titles “Slappy, Beware!” and “Memories and Life Lessons from the Magic Tree House” will be available for sale and authors will do a meet and greet afterwards. Books may be autographed but not personalized.

• Get timed entry passes or watch the livestream

Can’t wait until the 22^nd to hear from these authors? You can find a conversation with R.L. Stine that was held at the Library in 2018 here and Mary Pope Osborne’s appearance at the 2012 National Book Festival here.

Native Voices with Storyteller Dovie Thomason
Friday, November 25, 11-11:30 and 1-1:30 – Whittall Pavilion, Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building (onsite only)

Storyteller Dovie Thomason shares traditional stories about animals and hero/tricksters that provide a clearer understanding of the values and cultures of the diverse First Nations of North America. Thomason draws on her own Lakota/Kiowa Apache tradition and experience working with culture-bearers of other Native nations.

• Seating will be first come, first served. Reserve a timed entry pass to the building here. Doors will open 30 minutes before each performance.

And we continue to offer free primary source-based student workshops via Zoom. Imagination, Everyone’s Superpower (grades 3-5); Rosa Parks: Freedom Fighter (grades 5-8); Stories in the Stars: Mythology at the Library of Congress (grades 4-8); Collecting, Creating and Witnessing History (grades 9-12) are described here and are available by request at this link.

We look forward to greeting you at these events!