That’s not a REAL book. Whether you write teen romance like Sara, create graphic novels like Stan, or explore storytelling through another vehicle that people routinely look down their noses at, join our conversation about how to reach reluctant readers by creating accessible books. Participants will learn how to win over the naysayers, become the gatekeepers’ go-to creator, experiment with new guerrilla marketing techniques, and–most importantly–connect kids with their perfect books!
To put this theme into practice, Franklin Taylor, founder of Our Future Reads, will speak about how his organization puts books into the hands of curious readers. Attendees are invited to bring along a book to donate at the event.
About Sara Fujimura:
Sara Fujimura (Foo-gee-moo-rah) is the American half of her bicultural Japanese-American family and spends about a month each year in Japan. She started as a journalist, so it is no surprise that Sara’s young adult books contain a lot of facts to go along with the fiction. Whether you want to know about Japan (TANABATA WISH), the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 (BREATHE), what it’s like to be an Olympic-caliber skater (EVERY REASON WE SHOULDN’T), or how unscripted television works (FAKING REALITY), Sara takes readers on swoony journeys to unusual places. She is a creative writing teacher and literacy advocate who is excited to support the next generation of authors. If you go to anime cons, you may also see Sara as her alter ego, The Obento Lady. She is an active member of SCBWI and the Chicago-North Romance Writers.EVERY REASON WE SHOULDN’T was named an NPR Best Book of 2020. BREATHE was the winner of the 2025 Soon-to-Be-Famous Illinois Author Project, judged by Illinois librarians. To find out more, check out Sara’s website.
About Stan Yan:
Stan is an award-winning, first generation American-born-Chinese, Denver-based writer, illustrator, caricature artist and instructor.He was a recent co-Regional Advisor for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (RMC-SCBWI), former professor at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and Community College of Aurora, and co-founding professor of the CuddlefishAcademy.com kidlit art school. His late middle-grade graphic novel debut, THE MANY MISFORTUNES OF EUGENIA WANG (Atheneum, Sept 2025) was a 2025 JLG Selection, PW Pick, SLJ Star Review recipient, Kirkus Best of 2025, and 2025-26 DPS Top 100 pick. His work was the grand prize recipient of the 2022 SCBWI-FL Conference Portfolio Excellence Award! To find out more, check out Stan’s website.
