Fay B. Kaigler Children鈥檚 Book Festival, Ezra Jack Keats Award Ceremony Set for April 8-10
Tue, 03/17/2026 - 02:35pm | By: David Tisdale
Meg Medina
Meg Medina has long since confirmed her promise as a writer after receiving an Ezra Jack Keats Award at 91少女集中营鈥檚 2012 Fay B. Kaigler Children鈥檚 Book Festival.
Medina, along with other established and emerging authors and artists, will be celebrated during this year鈥檚 annual festival, which also includes the Ezra Jack Keats Award Ceremony, set for April 8-10 on the university鈥檚 Hattiesburg campus.
A New York Times bestselling author, Medina is the recipient of the festival鈥檚 top honor this year, the Southern Miss Medallion. The Cuban American author鈥檚 work spans picture books, middle-grade novels and young adult fiction. Among many other honors, she earned the Newbery Medal for her novel Merci Su谩rez Changes Gears, which also garnered a New York Times Book Review Notable Children鈥檚 Book of the Year designation.
Medina is also heralded for her impactful service to community-building projects supporting young women, Latino youth and literacy. From 2023 to 2024, she served as the National Ambassador for Young People鈥檚 Literature, promoting literature and literacy to millions of young people nationwide.
Dr. Mary Osborne, director of the Children鈥檚 Book Festival, said this year鈥檚 event is not Medina鈥檚 first. She received a Keats Award at the festival more than a decade ago.
鈥淚n 2012, she earned an Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award for her book T铆a Issa Wants a Car, and so it鈥檚 going to feel like a full circle moment for her to return to Southern Miss as we celebrate all the wonderful work she鈥檚 done throughout her career,鈥� Osborne said.
In partnership with the de Grummond Children鈥檚 Literature Collection at Southern Miss, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation will present the 2026 EJK Award winners and honor recipients during the week鈥檚 schedule of events. The annual award recognizes outstanding early-career authors and illustrators who, like Medina, go on to make significant contributions to the genre.
"It is an honor and a joy to partner with de Grummond in supporting the careers of the upcoming stars of children's literature,鈥� said Dr. Deborah Pope, executive director of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. 鈥淚n this way, de Grummond preserves the great work that's come before and lays the foundation of what's yet to come."
Dr. Karlie Herndon, curator of the de Grummond Collection, echoed Pope鈥檚 sentiments.
鈥淚鈥檓 so proud to welcome this year's winners and honors into the Ezra Jack Keats Award family,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ith stories that highlight family, human connection and appreciation for nature, alongside artwork that breathes life into the simplest but most important moments, these books will inspire and comfort children for years to come.鈥�
The festival鈥檚 Southern Miss School of Library and Information Science lecturer will be Amanda Jones, a librarian at the forefront of the battle against censorship in school and public libraries.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 wait to hear about her experiences,鈥� Osborne said.
Other events in the festival鈥檚 lineup include presentations by picture book authors and illustrators Ben Clanton and Molly Idle, with Idle serving as the festival鈥檚 Coleen Salley Storyteller. Lee Ostertag will provide another perspective as the author of Dungeon Club, a middle-grade title centered on a Dungeons & Dragons adventuring party, and John Green will present as the de Grummond Lecturer. A screening of The Librarians, a documentary by Kim Snyder, is also included in the festival鈥檚 schedule of events.
Osborne noted that breakout sessions led by educators, librarians and scholars from the field, along with events such as the Ezra Jack Keats Award Q&A panel, will allow attendees to earn CEU (continuing education unit) credit.
鈥淓ssentially, this year鈥檚 festival is going to be an amazing time,鈥� Osborne said.
For more information, including the complete schedule, visit the festival website.