Monday, June 7, 2021 @ 5:00 pm - Saturday, June 12, 2021 @ 2:00 pm
Saturday, June 12, will mark the 6th Annual Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival (CCBF), a hybrid event with some programming being held outdoors on the library lawn from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. and some being offered virtually. Headlining this year’s Festival is awarding winning children’s author and illustrator Bryan Collier, a Pocomoke, Maryland native. Collier will make two live presentations at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. with attendance limited to 100 people on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will be recorded and live streamed via Talbot County Free Library’s Facebook Page. In case of rain, the program will be entirely virtual.
Thanks to lead sponsor Flying Cloud Booksellers, a Bluepoint Hospitality property, children ages birth – 18 who sign up for the library’s Summer Reading Challenge will receive a voucher valued at $20 for a free book of their choice and a Flying Cloud Booksellers tote bag, redeemable atFlying Cloud Booksellers while supplies last. Participants will also receive a Bluepoint goodie bag with a bookmark, treat coupons, and other fun items. To register for the Summer Reading Challenge, go to tcfl.beanstack.org or visit the library beginning May 15. The library will also help children register during the upcoming Community Day, May 15. Once registered, vouchers can be picked at the library during regular operating hours.
Books authored and/or illustrated by Collier include We Shall Overcome; Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington; All Because You Matter; By and By: Charles Albert Tindley, the Father of Gospel Music; Hey Black Child; 5 O’Clock Band; Thurgood; The Watcher; Clemente!; Rosa; Dave the Potter; Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; I Too Am America; and Uptown. Collier’s unique style of illustration often combines both watercolor and collage.
During the week leading up to the Festival, a different author will read each night via Facebook Live. Others will read via Facebook Live on Saturday, June 12, between Collier’s presentations. Some of those authors include David LaRochelle, Carole Boston Weatherford, Ann Brashares, Thrity Umrigar, Tracey Baptiste, Cozbi A. Cabrera, and Lisa Yee.
Other sponsors of this year’s Book Festival include Maryland Public Television, Talbot County Council, the Talbot County Arts Council with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council, The Talbot County Free Library Foundation, and Friends of the Library.
“We are excited that this year’s festival can be held in person with the appropriate safety protocols in place for masking and social distancing,” said TCFL Director Dana Newman. “I’d especially like to thank Timothy Young for pulling together a stellar lineup of children’s authors to share with our community and our sponsors for their generous support.”
For more details about the Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival including a complete list of authors and the reading schedule, visit chesapeakechildrensbookfestival.com, call the Talbot County Free Library at 410-822-1626, or email
