Earlier in the spring, I had the pleasure of attending the 57th annual Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Jam-packed with awards, notable keynote speakers, and breakout sessions over three days (April 9-11), the festival was a memorable one!

My role at the festival was one of an Ambassador, a program the University of Southern Mississippi School of Information Sciences established that allows current graduate students in the fields of library science, children’s literature, and education, to not only attend the festival, but to assist with it operating smoothly. The program’s perk is Ambassadors are invited to attend the VIP events such as dinners with the honorees and an all-too-brief tour of the wondrous and extensive de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection. 

The festival’s highest honor, the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion, is awarded annually to an outstanding contributor to children’s literature. This year’s recipient was author and illustrator LeUyen Pham (Bear Came Along, Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn), who spoke movingly about her experience as an immigrant and the hope she strives to impart into each of her books. 

The festival is also home to the annual Ezra Jack Keats Award, selected by a committee and given by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation to an outstanding new writer and new illustrator of picture books that depict the fundamental aspects of childhood and family life while highlighting the world’s cultural diversity. Dr. Breanna J. McDaniel received the 2025 writing award for Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller, while X. Fang received the 2025 award for illustration for the dazzling We Are Definitely Human. 

McDaniel’s message of “go forth and tell” was shared by the other keynote speakers, in particular storyteller Jos N. Holman, recipient of the Coleen Salley Storytelling Award who regaled the audience with powerfully told stories; the genial Will Hillenbrand (The Voice in the Hollow) who urged us to always keep a story in our hearts; the delightful Carmen Agra Deedy (The Peanut Man) who shared stories that had the crowd laughing and crying and encouraged us all to pass the love of stories on; nonfiction author Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Hitler Youth, Terrible Typhoid Mary) who spoke of her passion for true stories that can be disturbing but noted disturbance creates change; and Kate Leth (Mall Goth) who spoke virtually from Canada about the importance of having stories for, and that reflect the experiences of, LGBTQ+ youth. 

Rounding out the event were daily breakout sessions, which provided something for everyone (from expanding passive programming and building diverse, ADA-compliant spaces to supporting children and families affected by the legal system) and southern-style lunches (fried catfish and glazed donut bread pudding, anyone?). 

My favorite moments as an Ambassador include eating the best tomato sandwiches I’ve ever had while enjoying the view from a wraparound porch on a beautiful southern spring evening surrounded by children’s authors, illustrators, librarians, and instructors; networking with people (outside of my Boston bubble) who share my love of children’s literature; and seeing the magnificent items on display in the de Grummond archives, particularly the Kate Greenaway sketches, The Speaking Picture Book, and original artwork by Ezra Jack Keats and Tasha Tudor. If any of this sounds appealing, next year’s festival looks just as promising: the 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and Newbery Award–winning author Meg Medina (Merci Suárez Changes Gears) will be the 2026 University of Southern Mississippi Medallion recipient.