Award-Winning Authors Headline 2026 Children’s Book Festival
Posted on January 7, 2026Johnstown, PA (January 7, 2025) – Mark your calendars! The Learning Lamp proudly presents the return of the Children’s Book Festival, celebrating its 17th year! The festival takes place the weekend of March 28 and 29, 2026 in the Cambria City neighborhood of Johnstown. New this year, headlining author presentations will take place in the beautiful Grand Halle, 306 Broad Street, Johnstown, while additional festival activities will happen at the Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center, 411 Third Avenue, Johnstown. This will create an expanded, multi-venue experience that is free to attend. Families can look forward to a fun-filled weekend with acclaimed children’s authors and illustrators, hands-on activities, and interactive entertainment designed to inspire readers of every age.
Join us in welcoming these award-winning authors and illustrators to the 2026 Children’s Book Festival:
- Lauren Tarshis – Acclaimed author of the bestselling I Survived series, Tarshis brings history to life for young readers through gripping storytelling and unforgettable characters. With a talent for transforming real events into thrilling adventures, she inspires students to explore history, build resilience, and develop a lasting love of reading.
- Aaron Reynolds – Award-winning author of Nerdy Birdy, Creepy Crayon!, and many other beloved children’s books, Reynolds combines humor, imagination, and heart to captivate young readers. Known for his playful storytelling and energetic presentations, Aaron encourages children and families to embrace creativity, enjoy reading, and laugh along the way.
The Children’s Book Festival offers children in PreK through 6th grade and their families a FREE, interactive literary adventure designed to spark a love of reading. This engaging event encourages parents to share the joy of books with their little ones while providing families access to affordable new and used books to grow their own home libraries. Plus, every child who attends will receive a free book to take home and enjoy.
Award-winning Pittsburgh cartoonist Joe Wos will bring his signature creativity and energy to the Children’s Book Festival with interactive storytelling and hands-on cartooning workshops. Host of PBS’s Cartoon Academy, Wos guides young artists through the steps of drawing cartoon characters while introducing artistic terms and fun educational facts. A professional cartoonist since age 14, Wos is internationally known for his syndicated MazeToons series, record-setting hand-drawn mazes, and live performances at more than 1,000 venues worldwide. His dynamic sessions promise to inspire imagination, creativity, and a love of cartoon art in children of all ages.
Also appearing is Rock ‘N Roll Pet Store, presented by children’s entertainer Mike Zaffuto. This unique experience blends music, magic, puppetry, and live animals to bring an imaginary pet store to life in an engaging and interactive way. With more than 35 years of experience performing at schools, libraries, fairs, and festivals, Mike’s performances encourage creativity, imagination, and a love for the arts.
Attendees will also enjoy themed arts and crafts, participate in writing and illustration workshops, browse new and used book sales, and savor delicious treats from a variety of food trucks. The festival features a children’s bookmark contest, where visitors can vote for their favorites. Winners in each age group will be awarded a basket filled with age-appropriate books.
Local and regional authors are invited to reserve a table to connect with readers and showcase their work throughout the weekend. Authors interested in participating may contact festival coordinator Kerri Belardi at kbelardi@thelearninglamp.org or 814-262-0732 x245.
The festival is made possible with a grant from The Justamere Foundation, support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and The National Arts Relief Fund. PCA funding through the PA Partners in the Arts Program was distributed by regional partner Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.
Community support is critical to keeping this festival free and accessible to families of all incomes. The Learning Lamp is seeking sponsors for 2026. Businesses interested in supporting childhood literacy through sponsorships are encouraged to reach out to Kathy Morrell at kmorrell@thelearninglamp.org or 814-262-0732 x233..
For more information about the 17th Annual Children’s Book Festival, visit our website, thelearninglamp.org, or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/CBFJohnstown/.
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The Learning Lamp is a nonprofit organization with a mission to engage all children in the support they need to succeed. We deliver high-quality programs that are affordable and accessible to families of all income levels. In 2024, The Learning Lamp and our school-based division, Ignite Education Solutions, directly served 43,056 children and adults. In addition, we worked with 87 public and private schools in 17 Pennsylvania counties and supported 503 child care and community-based organizations with free or nearly free shared resources, positively impacting another 53,384 children in 55 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
Our programs include: child care and preschool, tutoring, school staffing, educational programs for at-risk students, online learning, credit recovery, school-based substance use prevention, project consulting for schools, and early childhood systems building.