all day
Family Activities, Entertainment & Food
Bring the Whole Family!
In addition to author panels, this family-friendly Festival offers plenty to do for both grown-ups and younger readers.
The Festival features:
- A huge used book sale with thousands of books of every genre
- ComicKey!
- Live music and entertainment
- Amazing raffle items
- Children’s activities, book sales and authors
- Tea parties
Family Entertainment
in the Amphitheater
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Hunt Irish School of Dance Performance
The Hunt School of Irish Dance brings the captivating rhythms and rich traditions of Irish dance to the Annapolis Book Festival. Rooted in tradition and established in 1988, the Hunt School is led by passionate instructors who pride themselves on providing top-notch instruction in traditional Irish Step dancing. Learn more about the Hunt School.
12:00-1:00 p.m. - Club SciKidz
Join Club SciKidz today for an engaging science show. Learn about the environment and the effect Styrofoam has in landfills. Explore chemical reactions by launching some rockets. See the effects of acids and bases and experiment with some neat color changes.
1:00-2:00 p.m. - ECO ADVENTURES
Eco Adventures brings its Animal Adaptations and Habitats program to the Festival. Survival of the fittest is what this world is all about! What better way to learn about survival than to see the coolest adaptations animals have to offer—from glow-in-the-dark animals to quills and spines, poison and venom, and even slime. What are the best adaptations for each habitat—desert, rainforests, aquatic, wetlands? The world is ever-changing and only the animals that can adapt can survive. Visit their website at www.EcoAdventures.org
2:00-3:00 p.m. - Magician joe romano
Motivational performer Joe Romano has appeared in front of over 6,000 schools. His production of “Books! The Magic is Real!” delight children with a mix of education and magic! He has appeared in every major theme park in the United States including Universal Studios, Walt Disney World, Knott's Berry Farm, Six Flags Texas and Six Flags America. His appearances include the White House and Disney Cruise Lines. Following Mr. Romano’s appearance, he will be signing copies of his first children’s book My Dad Invented the Smile. The true story of how the “Smiley” face was created in the 1960s.
3:00-4:00 p.m. - BELLICOSE MARTIAL ARTS: MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
Bellicose Martial Arts joins the Festival to unveil their Bully Defense System (BDS). BDS teaches kids nonviolent ways to approach bullies. In the event that kids have to defend themselves, it teaches how to control the aggressor without throwing any punches until a responsible adult intervenes. Visit their website at www.mmaofbowie.com
4:00-5:00 p.m. - Key school jazz band
Food Trucks!
Sip Around the World
Tea Parties
For children ages 4-8 • Parties are at 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. •
Each party lasts one hour • Tickets are $25
Embarkees will receive their passports at the door as they arrive for a whimsical adventure from Annapolis to places around the world!
First stop is the colorful streets of Morocco where they will hear about the legend of Isli and Tislit and savor some refreshing Moroccan mint tea.
They will continue their journey to the heights of Tibet, where they will travel All the Way to Lhasa and sample some savory Tibetan butter tea.
Then it's on to the mangrove forests of Thailand and to meet some of the local fauna, the Monkey and the Crocodile, as they cool off with some Thai iced tea.
They will conclude their adventure in the Andean region of Argentina where they will sample maté and learn of its tradition as they listen to the Incan legend of the Quirquincho and the Fox.
At each stop, travelers will create an artistic stamp for their special keepsake passport, commemorating each stop on their journey.
We are expecting a full flight, so please book your seats today! Snacks will be available on board, so don't forget to advise your attendants of any food allergies or sensitivities on the registration form before departure.
Children's Book Authors
in the Manse Addition
10:00-11:00 A.M. - Jonathan Roth
for children in grades 2-5
catch jonathan roth's art way alliance workshop at comicKey! @ 3:00 p.m. in the arts building!
![A young bald man with a beard wearing a light green button down shirt smiling against a white backdrop]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1699971898/keyschool/kz59yj4dvcxkvimuxwyq/Rothcrop.jp2","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1699971898/keyschool/kz59yj4dvcxkvimuxwyq/Rothcrop.jp2","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1699971898/keyschool/kz59yj4dvcxkvimuxwyq/Rothcrop.jp2","width":744}])
Jonathan Roth
Jonathan Roth writes and illustrates the graphic novel series Rover and Speck (Kids Can Press, 2022+), the chapter book series Beep and Bob (Aladdin/S&S, 2018+), and the upcoming non-fiction picture book Almost Underwear: How a Piece of Cloth Traveled from Kitty Hawk to the Moon and Mars (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024). Though his books are often space-themed, he loves Earthly activities like hiking, canoeing and cycling. He lives in Rockville, MD and teaches elementary art.
Photo Credit: Tamzin Smith
11:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. - Meg Eden kuyatt
For Children in grades 3-7
![A young woman with long dark hair and bangs wearing a blue and purple flower dress stands with her hands on her hips]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1698774302/keyschool/soxdtqojxoekntffau6l/Kuyatt.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1698774302/keyschool/soxdtqojxoekntffau6l/Kuyatt.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1698774302/keyschool/soxdtqojxoekntffau6l/Kuyatt.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1698774302/keyschool/soxdtqojxoekntffau6l/Kuyatt.png","width":808}])
Meg Eden Kuyatt
Meg Eden Kuyatt teaches creative writing at colleges and writing centers. She is the winner of the 2021 Towson Prize for Literature for her poetry collection Drowning in the Floating World. Her children’s novels include Good Different (2023 ALA Schneider Family Book Award Honor) and the forthcoming The Girl in the Wall (Scholastic, 2025).
Photo Credit - Vincent Kuyatt
12:00-1:00 P.M. - timothy young
for children in grades 3-6
![A man with white hair wearing a blue shirt and dark sweater standing against the backdrop of trees]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1698776330/keyschool/oll2trdjpi0g0qgavbzq/Young.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1698776330/keyschool/oll2trdjpi0g0qgavbzq/Young.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1698776330/keyschool/oll2trdjpi0g0qgavbzq/Young.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1698776330/keyschool/oll2trdjpi0g0qgavbzq/Young.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1698776330/keyschool/oll2trdjpi0g0qgavbzq/Young.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1698776330/keyschool/oll2trdjpi0g0qgavbzq/Young.png","width":2200}])
Timothy Young
Timothy Young, as a child, always wondered who made the toys he played with, who wrote and illustrated the books he read, and who made the cartoons he watched. He grew up to be someone who got to do all of them. Mr. Young has worked in animation, television and toy industries and his career has included being the head model-maker for the Penny cartoons on "Pee-Wee’s Playhouse," building Muppets for Jim Henson, and sculpting the first Simpsons toys. He is the author/illustrator of sixteen books including I Hate Picture Books!, The Angry Little Puffin and his newest, Mac and the Millstone of Time.
1:00-2:00 P.M. - tracy c. gold
for children in preschool-kindergarten
![A young woman with long dark hair wearing a blue and white flower dress laughs as she holds a young girl's hand at the beach]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1699908831/keyschool/yumzceripgelgheqbtai/Gold.jpg","width":150}])
Tracy C. Gold
Tracy C. Gold loves writing about families and nature. She is a writer, freelance editor and mom living in Baltimore. Her published and forthcoming picture books include Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby, Call Your Mother, Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat, and Hide and Seek, Nuts to Eat. Ms. Gold earned her M.F.A. in creative writing and publishing arts at the University of Baltimore and earned her B.A. in English from Duke University. When she’s not writing or editing, she’s playing with her toddler or hanging out with horses and dogs.
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