One recent summer Saturday, I dragged my children to the Radford Reads Literary Festival. As with any worthwhile adventure, a few things surprised us.

• When we pulled up to the festival, the first thing we saw was a large sign for Sno Cones. My daughter voiced my thoughts: “Are you kidding me? We’re at a literary festival and they can’t spell snow?”  Turns out, Sno Cone is a trade name, like Kleenex or Kool Aid. So, in the name of capitalism, we must accept creative spelling. (Yeah, it makes me twitch too.)

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  After my last experience at an author event, I wanted to arrive early to see successful kidlit authors Tom Angleberger (Origami Yoda series) and CeCe Bell (El Deafo). However, when Tom and CeCe set up to present, the tent cleared out. I was shocked! Origami Yoda is a best-selling series, and El Deafo won the Newberry and the Eisner Awards this year. Tom and CeCe (who happen to be married) were excellent speakers, despite the small crowd. Tom entertained us with his humorous drawings and quick wit, and CeCe sweetly shared how difficult it was to live with a disability as a child.

• My kids loved it! Even when we sat through a panel discussion on deep topics, like death, debilitating illness, and the struggles of aging. My children listened, not one electronic device in sight, while Dick Wall shared the touching life lessons he and his wife learned during her struggle with breast cancer and the daunting task of writing her memoir.  Carol Wall died last year, so Dick is on tour now, promoting her story. I worried that the kids would find these discussions disturbing or boring, but they were fascinated (except for the 8 year old; I kept him happy with a Sno Cone).

Here are some book suggestions, inspired by the festival.

• Poop Fountain, book #1 of The QwikPick Papers, Tom Angleberger, middle grade fiction. My kids loved the Origami Yoda books, and Fountain leads off another series filled with geeky characters and a good bit of potty humor. Tom told us at his presentation that he was the weirdest kid at his middle school. (Don’t we all feel that way in middle school? ), and his characters hilariously reflect his experiences. His books include tons of illustrations to break up the text, so they’re great for middle grade readers, especially those a bit reluctant to read.

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  El Deafo, CeCe Bell, middle grade fiction.  CeCe lost her hearing as a young child, and her graphic novel uses humor and honesty to describe how hard it is to be different. A great read for encouraging empathy.

• Mr. Owita’s Guide to Gardening, Carol Wall, memoir When Carol and Dick Wall moved to Roanoke, they hired an African man to take care of their garden. He ended up teaching them about so much more than plants.  I can’t wait to read this book.  Here’s a great piece of wisdom from Mr. Owita:

The ground in winter holds a thousand lovely secrets.

• The Last Order,  Angela Caldwell, YA Fantasy. I learned about the Radford Reads Literary Festival through my new-found writing friend Angela. I must admit, I haven’t read Order yet, but the reviews on Goodreads enthusiastically recommend The Last Order for it’s gripping plot and characterization.  The premise: A strong, fiercely driven girl must solve a mystery and save her village in this adventure set in medieval times. Sounds great to me! This cover is gorgeous.

Have you ever been to a literary festival? What did you learn? Got any good books to share?