NORTHAMPTON — Children’s books open new worlds for young readers, letting them explore magical lands or gain a deeper understanding of their own communities. This year, Lander-Grinspoon Academy’s BookFest will celebrate children’s literature and give young students a chance to connect with some of their favorite authors.

BookFest 2024 at the school will feature children’s authors Adam Gidwitz, Jeanne Birdsall and Lesléa Newman this Sunday, Nov. 10. The event celebrates children’s literature, and features book readings and discussions with the three authors as well as workshops on books and reading aimed at kids ages 4-14.

“Schools often host book fairs that are honestly kind of boring because it’s just for buying books. If you want to celebrate reading, you want authors there who children love,” said Jake Marmer, head of school at Lander-Grinspoon Academy. “We wanted a celebration.”

At the day school, students read “The Inquisitor’s Tale” by Adam Gidwitz as part of their Jewish studies. The students loved the book, and the music teacher, Aram Rubenstein-Gillis, was inspired to write a musical based on it. Gidwitz heard about the musical and connected with the students, so Marmer invited him to the school and then expanded the event, creating BookFest 2024.

“The Inquisitor’s Tale,” which Gidwitz will read at BookFest, received a Newbery Honor in 2017. Birdsall is the New York Times bestselling author of the Penderwick Series, which won the National Book Award. She will discuss the series and a new project she is working on with Gidwitz as part of the event.

Marmer is looking forward to students being able to meet these “incredible, legendary authors.” He said, “to get kids in our school and the whole community excited about reading, you want to do something exciting.”

The event starts at 10 a.m. with Newman, a celebrated writer in LGBTQ+ and Jewish literature, reading her groundbreaking book, “Heather Has Two Mommies,” for younger readers. Later in the day, Gidwitz and Birdsall will read their books and discuss writing and their projects.

Fifth and sixth grade students will help run workshops and have made recommendations of books that they love. The event is geared toward readers between the ages of 4 and 14, and is open to the whole community. Admission is free, but advance registration is required due to limited capacity, at tinyurl.com/5b5cevnv.

“We love books and we want to share our love of books with our friends locally,” Marmer said.

BookFest hopes to foster a love of reading in young kids and get people excited about children’s literature. Students will get to participate in the event, welcoming attendees, introducing authors and helping with workshops. While reading is often a solitary activity, the festival aims to connect people through their love of reading.

“I want to see the world full of young people who love reading and think critically,” said Marmer. “We work hard to instill the love and pleasure of reading in our students and we want to share that love with other people.”