NEWSLETTER
New York, NY — August 4, 2026) — Word Up Community Bookshop is proud to present the sixth annual Uptown Kid Lit, the premier children’s book festival serving families in Uptown New York City.
Young readers will have the opportunity to meet multilingual authors, local illustrators, and artists, as they present new books, lead story times, activities, discussions, workshops, arts, crafts, games, and more. Celebrating the magic of literature, literacy, and art, along with the back-to-school season, free books and school supply giveaways will be available to all who register.
UPTOWN KID LIT 2026 LINEUP:
- Musical story time in English and Spanish with Latin Grammy nominee Sonia De Los Santos (La Golondrina)
- Panel discussing grief in kids’ books with Sili Recio and Elena Djome Lawrence (The Other Side of the Garden), Winsome Bingham (On Fridays), and Adria Quiñones (When They Tore Down the Palace)
- Meg Medina (Graciela in the Abyss / Graciela en el abismo) and Sayantani DasGupta (Theft of the Ruby Lotus) conversing fantasy and more
- Millie von Platen (Zohran Walks New York) in a story time ode to New York City and a historic era
- Andrea Cáceres (My Dog Just Speaks Spanish) leading a character drawing tutorial and story time
- Pooja Makhijani (Bread Is Love; Together for Mama: A Story of Hope and Healing) in a story and sourdough snack time, with a little yoga in between
- Night Market experience and drawing activities with authors Emeline Lee (Gwei the Hungry Ghost) and Emily Sun Li (Mr. Chow's Night Market)
- Katie Yamasaki (Ripples) making river and land crowns from recycled materials with a story time
- Felipe Galindo Feggo (History Comics: Ellis Island: Immigration and the American Dream) guiding a mini-comic workshop to narrate and draw on the immigrant experience
- Story time, a fashion moment, and some razzle dazzle with Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (Daisy Helps with the Dress)
- More story times and activities from Claudia Rueda (Conoce a los Momokis / Meet the Smushkins), Luz Maria Mack (Bachatica: A Little Girl Finds Her Bachata Beat), Emmanuel Taveras (Sammy Explores New York City / Sammy Explora La Ciudad De Nueva York), Yevgenia Nayberg (Another Tongue), and Steve Metzger (The Bumble Brothers)
Plus, the return of Drag Artists for Expression NYC, kicking off the festival with a story time followed by crown making at their own designated festival tent, and The New York Black and African Literature Festival, with a celebration of Afro-Caribbean storytelling traditions.
Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure a spot in workshops with limited capacity. Register here.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL: Uptown Kid Lit is a one-day children's literature festival in Uptown NYC that showcases the fun and possibilities of literature for kids and their adults! Since 2019, the festive and interactive atmosphere has invited children of all ages and backgrounds to explore books, reading, writing, and art. Meet your favorite and soon-to-be-favorite authors and illustrators, get introduced to local youth programs, pick up books and school supplies, and hang out with your neighbors in the park.
ABOUT THE BOOKSHOP: Word Up Community Bookshop/Librería Comunitaria is a multilingual, collectively operated bookshop and arts space in Washington Heights, New York City, committed to co-creating a place where residents support each other to live informed and expressive lives. Embracing cooperative practices, we champion books and storytelling in all forms to build and sustain a more just world where people can live with dignity and autonomy. We strive to make our neighborhood a resource-rich site for all to grow, learn, and celebrate our heritages. Founded in 2011, Word Up is operated by a collective of 60+ neighborhood residents.
Uptown Kid Lit is organized by Word Up Community Bookshop, and is made possible in part with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; the Office of City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa; the Medical Center Neighborhood Fund; New York Presbyterian Hospital; Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union; and all our community sponsors.
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