Every year, teens and tweens get the opportunity to interview authors at the Tucson Festival of Books. 2022 is the 13th year for the Festival of Books and the Teen & Tween Audio Interviews go just as far back. One of our former librarians, Pam Park started this excellent program.
The interviews give the youth a chance to interview an author after reading one of their books and preparing for the interview.
For eight years, the interviews were hosted in one of the many white tents that are symbolic with the festival. In 2017, AZPM graciously offered to host the interviews in their professional studios. In 2020, with the pandemic coming into the picture, we had to flex last minute to a virtual format. We did that for 2 years, both in 2020 and 2021.
This year we are happy to be back in person at the festival. We have six interviews planned with area schools and teen advisory groups. The Tucson Festival of Books has an amazing list of authors this year and the Pima County youth are interviewing six of these amazing authors on the University of Arizona campus.
These interviews will be recorded by Library staff and then posted both here on the Library’s website and the Tucson Festival of Books page.
Authors being interviewed this year are:
Lilliam Rivera
Students of Mansfield Middle School will read Never Look Back before interviewing Rivera.
See more of Lilliam Rivera's books in our catalog.
Ibi Aanu Zoboi
Zoboi is going to be interviewed by a group of students from Amphi High School who will read an ARC (advanced reader copy) of Okoye: To the People: A Black Panther Novel which will be published in March 2022.
Here's a list of titles you can check out from the Library by Zoboi.
Angeline Boulley
The youth of Sabino High School will read award winner Firekeeper's Daughter before interviewing Boulley.
Marie Lu
The students at Tanque Verde High School will interview Marie Lu, author of The Kingdom of Back.
See what else you can borrow by Maria Lu.
Victoria Schwab
The teen advisory group from Nanini Library will read Victoria Schwab’s upcoming book Gallant.
Schwab has many other titles you can check out from the Library.
Lizz Huerta
Last but not least, the group from Sahuaro High School and Dusenberry-River Library’s teen advisory group will read Lizz Huerta’s upcoming and debut book, The Lost Dreamer, which comes out in March, before their interview with Huerta.
