The first annual North Texas Teen Book Festival was held at the Irving Convention Center in Irving, Texas on March 7. The festival, which was organized by Kristin Trevino of the Irving Public Library system, featured more than 40 authors who spoke on panels, signed copies of their books, and met with readers. Here are some of the highlights from the day. All photos: Sung Joon Koo at SJKoo Photography.
Irving Library director Chris Dobson greets fans in Carrie Ryan’s signing line.
Readers at the festival took part in a Book Speed Dating event, during which they were given book recommendations based on their interests and got to choose a book to take home. Here, a reader meets with a “matchmaker” and selects a copy of Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker.
Patrick Carman runs a game show during a middle-grade panel discussion called “Action Packed.” From left: Patrick Carman, Lindsey Cummings, Gordon Korman, Jeramey Kraatz, D.J. MacHale, and Shannon Messenger.
Lauren Myracle has just called David Levithan “Hot!” and the day’s festivities had just begun.
Authors named Jennifer speak on a panel called “Jenny, Jenny, who can I turn to?” From left: Jenny Han, Jennifer E. Smith, Jennifer Ziegler, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and moderator Jen Bigheart.
Author and editor Stephanie Perkins and contributors discuss their recent holiday anthology, My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories (St. Martin’s Griffin). From left: Jennifer E. Smith, David Levithan, Ally Carter, Jenny Han, and Stephanie Perkins.
Photographer Sung Joon Koo snapped a photo of one attendee and posted it on Instagram, saying: “What a speed reader! She picked up the book in the morning and almost finished by the afternoon.”
