Tucson Festival of Books

Kwame Mbalia (He, him, his)


Kwame Mbalia is a No. 1 New York Times best-selling author of the Tristan Strong series and the publisher of "Freedom Fire," an imprint of Disney Hyperion devoted to stories about the Black diaspora by Black creators that includes his Jax Freeman series. Kwame lives with his family outside Raleigh, North Carolina, where he is working on the next Jax Freeman adventure. His two new books are "Jax Freeman and the Phantom Shriek" and "Captain America, Brave New World: A Hero Looks Like You." 

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Communities: African American


Scheduled events:
Dream Big: Stories that Inspire Action
It's hard to dream big in an uncertain world but dreams bring hope and the possibility of change. Dreams can involve Captain America and realizing a superhero can look like you, communicating with orcas through music, and helping others better their lives. Even small actions can create big changes.

Education Room 353 (Seats 92, Wheelchair accessible)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sat, Mar 15, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Children
Signing area: Signing Area - Children (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Monica Brown, Kwame Mbalia, Zachariah OHora, Nikkolas Smith
Moderator: Ruth McKoy Lowery
Epic Quests through Mysterious Worlds
Three bestselling authors create epic quests of good vs. evil in mysterious worlds based in cultural mythologies and folklore. Their magical adventures involve Brujas, phantom trains, and schools for fairy tale characters.

Education 211 (Seats 200)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sun, Mar 16, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Children
Signing area: Signing Area - Children (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: J.C. Cervantes, Soman Chainani, Kwame Mbalia
Moderator: Lisa Morris-Wilkey

Books:
Captain America: Brave New World: A Hero Looks Like You
Children
Disney Publishing Group
January 2025
ISBN 9781368098083
32 pages

Jax Freeman and the Phantom Shriek
Children
Disney Publishing Group
January 2024
ISBN 9781368064736
480 pages