Detroit Bookfest Announces Children’s Authors Reading to Kids at this Year’s Festival
| For Immediate Release: | June 22, 2026 |
| Contacts: | Detroit Bookfest: info@detroitbookfest.com Alyce Hartman: hello@birdiesbookmobile.org |
The Detroit Festival of Books is delighted to announce exciting new programming for children and their parents attending the festival on Sunday, July 19, in Detroit’s Eastern Market: The Kids Zone in DTE Plaza will feature more than a dozen Detroit-area children’s authors throughout the day, offering readings, meet-and-greet opportunities, and book signings for young readers and their families.
Bookfest, Michigan’s largest book festival, attracts 20,000 attendees and features more than 300-plus booksellers, authors, publishers, and literary organizations. Entry into Bookfest remains free, as does all children’s programming.
“As attendance at Bookfest continues to surge, we’re thrilled to have great writers from Metropolitan Detroit sharing their wonderful works with attendees,” said Ryan M. Place, the festival’s founder and chairman. “We encourage everyone to come out and have a great time.”
Bookfest officials will release the schedule of readings during the two weeks preceding Bookfest.
Bookfest presents the children’s programming in partnership with Birdie’s Bookmobile, a Detroit nonprofit dedicated to increasing kids’ access to books and promoting literacy throughout the city. The new children’s programming expands Bookfest’s ongoing mission of promoting literacy and fostering a lifelong love of reading among people of all ages.
“Books enliven kids’ imaginations and accelerate the learning process,” said Alyce Hartman, founder of Birdie’s Bookmobile. “We’re just so excited and thrilled about this new programming!”
Reminder: Bookfest and Birdie’s Bookmobile have set a goal of collecting 6,000 donated new and gently used children’s books for Detroit kids. We encourage all attendees to bring such books and deposit them into one of several bright-yellow bins located throughout Eastern Market on Bookfest day. Every book will find its way to Detroit kids to help them build their home libraries.
