Swiacki Children's Literature Festival

Register for the 2026 Festival!

The 2026 Swiacki Children's Literature Festival will feature will feature author Lois Lowry.

Public Schedule of Events

All Events Occur in the McCarthy Center

McCarthy Center Check-In 3:30–5:00 p.m. | Concourse
Pick up your name badge, say hello, and get ready for a joyful evening of literary celebration.

Opening Reception: James E. Ransome Art Exhibit 3:30–5:00 p.m. | Mazmanian Gallery
James E. Ransome’s award-winning illustrations come to life in this special gallery opening—light refreshments provided.

Pat Keogh Memorial Workshop: “What’s New in Children’s Literature?” 4:30–5:30 p.m. | The Forum
Discover the latest trends, titles, and voices shaping the world of children’s books in this engaging workshop led by educators and librarians.

The Silver Unicorn Book Sale 5:00–7:45 p.m. | Dining Annex
Browse a selection of titles by our featured speakers, plus recent releases. A perfect chance to find your next great read—or a meaningful gift.

The Mary Burns Memorial Lecture 5:30–7:30 p.m. | Dining Annex
Savor a delicious dinner, then join Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome for an engaging conversation about their creative journeys, inspirations, and the impact of their work on readers and educators.

Book Signing 7:30–8:00 p.m. | Dining Annex
Meet the Ransomes, have your books signed, and take home a lasting memory from this special evening.

A Zoom webinar option is also available for both the Pat Keough Memorial Workshop and the Mary Burns Memorial Lectures.

About the Speakers

Newbery Honor award recipient Lesa Cline-Ransome is the author of numerous non-fiction and historical fiction titles for picture book, chapter book, middle grade and young adult readers. Her work has been named to ALA Notable Books and Bank Street Best Children’s Book lists.

Her verse picture book biography of Harriet Tubman, Before She Was Harriet was nominated for an NAACP image award and received a Jane Addams Honor, Christopher Award, and Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration. Finding Langston, the first in the Finding Langston trilogy, was the winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and received the Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor. Her picture book, They Call Me Teach, received the 2025 Jane Addams Award. Her MG novel-in-verse, One Big Open Sky, was recipient of the Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor, as well as being named a Best Book of 2024 by Kirkus, the Boston Globe, and the New York Times.

She is the host of KidLitTV's Past Present: Giving Past Stories New Life.

Lesa is the mother of four and frequently collaborates with her husband, illustrator James Ransome. She lives and works in the Hudson Valley region of New York where she consumes large quantities of books and chocolate and each day, she takes long walks and short naps. In between she writes. Find out more at: www.lesaclineransome.com.

The Children’s Book Council named James E. Ransome as one of seventy-five authors and illustrators everyone should know. Currently a member of the Society of Illustrators, Ransome has received both the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration and the IBBY Honor Award for his book, The Creation. He has also received a Coretta Scott King Honor Award for Illustration forUncle Jed’s Barbershop which was selected as an ALA Notable Book and is currently being shown as a feature on Reading Rainbow. How Many Stars in the Sky? and Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt were also Reading Rainbow selections. PBS’s Storytime featured his book, The Old Dog. Ransome has exhibited works in group and solo shows throughout the country and received The Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance award for his book, The Wagon. In 1999 Let My People Go received the NAACP Image Award for Illustration and Satchel Paige was reviewed in Bank Street College of Education’s “The Best Children’s Books of the Year.” In 2001, James received the Rip Van Winkle Award from the School Library Media Specialists of Southeast New York for the body of his work.  How Animals Saved the People received the SEBA (Southeastern Book Association) Best Book of the Year Award in 2002 and the Vermont Center for the Book chose Visiting Day as one of the top ten diversity books of 2002.  In 2004 James was recognized by the local art association when he received the Dutchess County Executive Arts Award for an Individual Artist.  He has completed several commissioned murals for the Children’s Museum in Indianapolis, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Hemphill Branch Library in Greensboro, NC. He created a historical painting commissioned by a jury for the Paterson, NJ Library and a poster for the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Brown vs the Board of Education.  His traveling Exhibit, Visual Stories has been touring the United States since 2003.  His work is part of both private and public children’s book art collections.

Author Website: https://jamesransome.com/ 

Festival History

The Swiacki Children's Literature Festival at Framingham State University is an annual celebration of children's books featuring renowned authors and illustrators in the field. The event includes book signings, lectures and workshops sharing the latest developments in the craft. The event launched in 1986 as the David McCord Children's Literature Festival, sponsored by the Nobscot Reading Council. Framingham State has hosted the festival since its inception and began coordinating the event in 2006.

In 2014, the festival was renamed the Swiacki Children's Literature Festival at Framingham State University in recognition of the efforts and support of alumnae donors, Nancy and Janina Swiacki.

Past Featured Authors and Artists

2025: Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome
2024: Duncan Tonatiuh and Ibi Zoboi
2023: Ekua Holmes and Dashka Slater
2022: Raul the Third and Erin Entrada Kelly
2021: Sophie Blackall and Javaka Steptoe with Special Guest: Kate DiCamillo
2020: Joseph Bruchac and Melissa Sweet
2019: Nikki Grimes and David Wiesner
2018: Matt De La Pena and Wendell Minor
2017: Andrea Pinkney and Brian Pinkney
2016: Jason Chin and Steve Sheinkin
2015: Jane Yolen
2014: Steve Jenkins and Mark Teague
2013: Beth Krommes and Stephen Krensky
2012: Jerry Pinkney and Joyce Sidman
2011: Jeanne Birdsall
2010: Grace Lin, Leda Schubert, Jimmy Gownley and Nick Abadzis
2009: Molly Bang
2008: Barbara Lehman
2007: Steven Kellogg
2006: John Lechner & Gordon Morrison

This program is funded in part by a grant from the Framingham Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

This program is also funded by The Silver Unicorn Bookstore.

Additional funding provided by Arts & Ideas at Framingham State University and the Nobscot Reading Council.