Gold Coast Book Fair has lots of activities, events, and authors for young readers! Check out the full scope of kids programming below for each day of the Fair.
Saturday, June 29 at LIU
Kids events and activities take place on the second floor of Hillwood Commons in the Fishbowl room and out on the patio. On the patio, you’ll find storytimes, a scavenger hunt, and coloring and craft activities. In the Fishbowl, you’ll find conversations for kids and parents.
Kids Scavenger Hunt
10:00am – 5:00pm
Are you an eagle-eyed observer who can sleuth out clues? Put your observation skills to the test with our Gold Coast Scavenger Hunt! Pick up a Scavenger Sheet in the Kids Tent on the patio at Hillwood Commons. Locate the items throughout the day and bring it back to the Kids Tent for a prize!
Storytime: Summer, Magic, and Celebration!
11:00 pm – 12:00 pm
Location: Kids Tent, Hillwood Commons Patio
Kids, gather round as three wonderful authors read us their books! Jackie Azúa Kramer and Jonah Kramer will read us their magical adventure, Manolo and the Unicorn. Valerie Bolling will read I See Color. Read More
Finding Yourself in the Funniest of Places
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
Location: Fishbowl, Hillwood Commons
Patricia Park gives teen and tween readers the latest installment in the life of Jackie Oh, a Korean American teen who enters the competitive world of a TV cooking show, complete with showboating child actors, gimmicks, and “gotcha” challenges. Read More.
Storytime: Seashells, Dreams, and Best Crescent Moons!
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Location: Kids Tent, Hillwood Commons Patio
Two special picture book authors are reading us their stories! Zainab Khan reads us her beautiful new picture book, Noura’s Crescent Moon. Laurie Smollett Kutscera reads us a perfect book for summertime, Maya’s Treasure. Read More.
Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
Location: Fishbowl, Hillwood Commons
The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators discusses how you can contribute to a more imaginative and inclusive world through the power of children’s literature. They’ll share resources and know-how that can support your creative endeavors to write and publish children’s books. Read More.
Make a Book! Creative Workshop for Kids
2:00 pm – 2:45 pm
Location: Fishbowl, Hillwood Commons
Kids, join us for an interactive session with author and illustrator Esther Smith and Jane Sanders as they share their techniques and then show us how to write and draw our own stories! Read More.
The Changing Landscape of Children’s Books: How to Keep Kids Reading
3:00 pm – 3:45 pm
Location: Fishbowl, Hillwood Commons
In times of great cultural change and social tumult, what role do children’s books play in the lives of our children and families? How do we go about selecting the best books for each young reader and encourage a life-long love of reading? Writers and SCBWI members lead this discussion for parents and educators. Read More.
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Kids events and activities take place at Raynham Hall & Museum and at attractions throughout the Fair! Don’t miss the Gold Coast Sundae all day at Sabrina’s Candy & Creamery, a sweet special treat served in a coupe glass with a cherry on top, made especially for Gold Coast Book Fair! And be sure to visit Rewilding America who will be there with one of their rescue ponies! We’ll have a face painter, carnival games, inflatables, and lots of fun for young readers.
Yoga Storytime with Lauren Chaitoff!
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Raynham Hall and Museum, Oyster Bay
Long Island author and yoga instructor Lauren Chaitoff leads us through a fun yoga storytime as she shares her new book with us, 108 Awesome Yoga Poses for Kids. Yoga will take place on the grass. Join us! Read More
Storytime: Friendship & Acceptance
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
Location: Raynham Hall & Museum, Oyster Bay
Join us for a fun storytime on the grass! Bonnie Grubman reads us Walter and Willy and the False Note. Neha Bajaj reads us Noah’s Intense Day. Read More
Chapter Book Adventures for Young Readers
1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
Location: Raynham Hall and Museum, Oyster Bay
Young readers, join us for a fun talk with two Long Island authors of adventurous chapter books! Sarah Beth Durst shares Spy Ring, a treasure hunt story set in Setauket. Laurie Smollett Kutscera shares Misadventures of a Magician’s Son. Read More
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Outside Theodore’s Bookstore, Oyster Bay
Meet Manda Kalimian, founder of Rewilding America Now, and her horse, Pila, a Nokota Horse from North Dakota, a real descendant of the great Lakota Chief Sitting Bulls original band of horses. Learn about the importance of wild horses to the natural world, our connection to the lands and the importance of Rewilding. And….. how you too can be a part of the “Movement to Rewild”!
Power to the People: How to Take Civic Action as a Young Person
3:00 pm – 3:45 pm
Location: Raynham Hall & Museum, Oyster Bay
Join us for this invaluable session as Long Island uathor Richard Panchyk offers a deep understanding for young readers of how civil actions work, through many examples and straightforward language for the middle-grade student reader. How do we exercise power over these seemingly insurmountable forces? Read More