ALA 2026 Conference Resource Center – MacKids School & Library

We’re so excited to see our librarian friends on June 25 to June 29 in Chicago!

What’s inside our ALA Resource Center:

Make the most of your ALA experience + meet your favorite authors & illustrators!
Check our ALA schedule for a full list of in-person author programs and book signings.

We’ve collected our digital resources for you in this handy resource center!
Download our digital catalogs, request digital preview copies, and fill out our checklist survey for your chance to win a collection of free books for your library!

Not attending ALA?
You can still download digital resources, request preview copies, and more!

MacKids ALA 2026 Schedule:
Author Programs & Book Signings

Download our flyer for a full list of MCPG author signings at ALA 2026!

View our full schedule of authors events below,
including programs with Adib Khorram, Adina King, Angeline Boulley, Ann Bausum, Allie Millington, Alyssa Colman, Carole Boston Weatherford, Caroline McAlister, Dan Santat, Dan Perucco, George M Johnson, Jess Callans, Jasmine Warga, Juana Martinez-Neal, Julian Randall, Lamont O’Neal, Lily Kim Qian, Lily Berlin Dodd, Lily Williams, Loren Long, María Dolores Águila, Maria van Lieshout, Mary Shyne, Rebecca Gardyn Levington, Rob Sanders, Sara Andrea Fajardo, Steve Sheinkin, Thien Pham, and Yasmin Angoe.

Click to expand: View our full schedule of MCPG author events here!

Thursday, June 25th

12:00pm – 2:00pm
Scott O’Dell Award Celebration
Featuring María Dolores Águila, author of A Sea of Lemon Trees
Location: TBD

Friday, June 26th

1:00pm – 4:00pm
Dive Deep into Discovery: Celebrating 25 Years of the Sibert Medal
Featuring Sara Andrea Fajardo, author of Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa, Juana Martinez-Neal, illustrator of Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa
Location: Marriott Marquis, Daniel Burnham

5:30pm – 6:30pm
Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Ceremony
Featuring María Dolores Águila, author of A Sea of Lemon Trees, Caroline McAlister, author of A Line Can Go Anywhere, Jamie Green, illustrator of A Line Can Go Anywhere
Location: TBD

Saturday, June 27th

10:30am – 11:20am
New Voices in Young Adult
Featuring Lily Kim Qian, author of Until We Meet Again, Dan Perucco, author of Exchanged, Yasmin Angoe, author of She Drinks the Light
Location: Chapter One Stage (Booth #1328)

10:30am – 11:20am
Middle Grade Luminaries
Featuring Jasmine Warga, author of The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan, Allie Millington, author of Trunk No. 3, Julian Randall, author of Shook, Lily Berlin Dodd, author of The Last Ember
Location: A Real Page-Turner Stage (Booth #4956)

2:30 – 3:30pm
The Gap Years: Four Authors Address the Shortage of Stories for Younger Teens
Featuring Adib Khorram, author of One Word Six Letters
Location: McCormick Place, W 176 A B C

8:00pm – 10:00pm
Printz Award Ceremony
Featuring Angeline Boulley, author of Sisters in the Wind, Maria van Lieshout, author of Song of a Blackbird, Adina King, author of The House No One Sees
Location: Hyatt Regency McCormick, Grant Park AB

Sunday, June 28th

9:00am – 11:00am
YALSA Awards Celebration and YA Coffee Klatch
Featuring Ann Bausum, author of White Lies, Mary Shyne, author of You and Me on Repeat
Location: Hyatt Regency McCormick, Grant Park ABC

9:00am – 1:00pm
Mind vs. Machine Chess Matches
Featuring Steve Sheinkin, author of Mind vs. Machine, Thien Pham, illustrator of Mind vs. Machine
Location: Booth 2525

9:00am – 10:00am
Toxic Exclusion: Authors Share How To Protect Children’s Access To Information
Featuring Jess Callans, author of Ollie in Between
Location: McCormick Place, W 179 A B

9:30am – 10:30am
Mainstage Speaker: George M. Johnson
Featuring George M Johnson, author of And If I Die Before I Wake
Location: Main Stage

1:00pm – 3:30pm
Pura Belpre Celebración
Featuring María Dolores Águila, author of A Sea of Lemon Trees
Location: Hilton Chicago, Waldorf Room

2:30pm – 3:20pm
What’s New in Young Teen Lit?
Featuring Maria van Lieshout, author of Song of a Blackbird, Jess Callans, author or Ollie in Between
Location: A Real Page-Turner Stage (Booth #4956)

Monday, June 29th

8:00am – 10:30am
ALSC Award Ceremony
Featuring Sara Andrea Fajardo, author of Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa, Juana Martinez-Neal, illustrator of Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa
Location: Marriott Marquis, Great Lakes ABC

10:00am – 1:00pm
Stonewall Book Award Ceremony
Featuring Jess Callans, author of Ollie in Between
Location: McCormick Place, W 192 A

10:30am – 11:20am
Meet the Newbery Honor Authors with Betsy Bird
Featuring María Dolores Águila, author of A Sea of Lemon Trees
Location: PopTop Stage (Booth #1756)

Click the covers below to learn more about these books and authors you can meet at ALA!

ALA Exclusive Giveaways!

Stop by the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group Booth #2525 to grab a copy of these can’t-miss titles!

ALA Youth Media Award Winners & Honorees

We’re celebrating our 2026 ALA Youth Media Award Winners! Learn more about these award winning books.

Watch our Fall 2026 School & Library Virtual Preview!

Watch our MacKids School & Library Fall 2026 Preview Event, where we previewed upcoming picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult titles!

2026 Stars You Can’t Miss!

Does your collection include the top-reviewed books of 2026?
Browse our round-up of starred reviews!

Read & Share Frequently Challenged Books

Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group stands against censorship, and in support of the librarians and teachers who are doing their part to share a love of reading with their students. We believe that all readers deserve access to an inclusive selection of titles and we are committed to working with our authors to reach readers with their stories. Click here to find more resources for sharing challenged books + fighting censorship in your community from the ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom.

We partnered with Unite Against Book Bans and dozens of other publishers to launch a Book Résumé Database. Book Résumés help teachers, librarians, parents, and community members defend books from censorship. Read more about the database!

MacKids Digital Catalogs

Celebrate BIPOC Voices and expand your inclusive collection!
Download our Black Voices catalog, LGBTQ+ Voices catalog, Asian and Asian American Voices catalog, and Latinx Voices catalog here!