The 2026 Great Plains Literacy Festival will feature five authors and illustrators of children’s books: Deborah Hopkinson, Melissa Iwai, Oge Mora, David Ezra Stein, and Lindsey Stoddard.

These authors will reach thousands of students in their schools in east central Nebraska over two days, culminating in the community event that’s open to the public on April 23 from 4-6 p.m. in downtown Seward, with the authors available for a meet and greet at Chapters Books and Gifts, 548 Seward St, Seward, NE 68434.

For more information, visit https://www.greatplainsliteracyfestival.com.

A native of Lowell, Massachusetts, Deborah Hopkinson is the award-winning author of seventy books for young readers including picture books, middle grade historical fiction, Little Golden Book biographies, and long form nonfiction.

Melissa Iwai is an author and illustrator of children’s books, based in Brooklyn, NY. She has illustrated over 30 books and has even written and illustrated many of her own!

Oge Mora is a collage artist and storyteller. Her picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, and Ezra Jack Keats Book Award recipient.

Award winning author and illustrator David Ezra Stein was born in Brooklyn, NY. By the time he was three, he was asking adults, “Wanna come to my room? Read books?” This love of reading grew into a love of telling stories, and then, writing.

Lindsey Stoddard is a Vermont-born and raised author of beloved middle-grade novels including Just Like Jackie, Right as Rain, Brave Like That, Bea Is for Blended, and The Real Deal.