Tucson Festival of Books

Hope in a Broken World


Children need hope to move forward from displacement in a broken world, be it a dystopian future with robots and evacuation camps or our contemporary present of forest fires and discrimination toward immigrants. These tales captivate readers through graphic novels, novels-in-verse, and nonfiction.


Panelists
Megan E. Freeman

Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week, and she has been a writer ever since. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet....

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Guojing

Guojing is an award-winning author and illustrator based in Canada. Her debut book, "The Only Child," was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the year and has many other distinctions and accolades....

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Jose Pimienta

Jose Pimienta was raised in Mexicali, Baja California and resides in Los Angeles, CA where they work on comics and storyboards for animation and film. "Suncatcher" was their debut YA graphic novel and ended on many best of lists....

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Jessica Stremer

Jessica Stremer is an award-winning children’s author who combines her love of science and writing to create books that inspire kids to explore and think critically about the world. Her titles include "Great Carrier Reef" which was a Cook Prize Silver Medalist and NY Public Library Best Book of the Year, "Lights Out: A Movement to Help Migrating Birds," "Fire Escape: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires," a JLG Gold Standard selection....

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Books:
Away
Megan E. Freeman
Children
Aladdin
February 2025
ISBN 9781665959728
480 pages

Oasis
Guojing
Children
Henry Holt and Company (BYR)
February 2025
ISBN 9781250818386
160 pages
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Halfway to Somewhere
(A Graphic Novel)
Jose Pimienta
Children
Random House
February 2025
ISBN 9780593569450
256 pages
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Fire Escape
How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires
Jessica Stremer
Children
Holiday House
June 2024
ISBN 9780823454426
128 pages
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