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Festival History

Founded in 1996, the Plum Creek Literacy Festival seeks to encourage a love of reading, writing, and books by bringing nationally renowned authors and illustrators to Nebraska. The festival started as a one day, one author event, with about 200 adults and children present. Since then, it has grown to three days of presentations, with ten authors and illustrators in 2014. Since 2013, over 10,000 children and adults attend the festival each year. It currently includes sessions for elementary, middle-level and secondary students as well as adults.

The Plum Creek Literacy Festival won the Jane Pope Geske award given by The Nebraska Center for the Book for exceptional literary contributions in 2007. In 2010, it became a Read Aloud Nebraska Champion.

Featured Authors and Illustrators Over the Years

2021

Spring Festival: Bryan Collier, Heather Fox, John Hendrix, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Steve Light, Daniel Miyares, Sherri Duskey Rinker, Grant Snider, David Soman, Javaka Steptoe, Jonathan Stutzman and Evan Turk. 

Special Breakfast and Books Program in July 2021 with Lou Fancher/Steve Johnson; Lynne Rae Perkins; Jackie Urbanovic.

2020

Breakfast and Books event with Stephen T. Johnson and Mark Teague. ​
(Fall Festival postponed to April 2021 due to Covid-19) 

2019

Sarah Albee, Ben Clanton, Lita Judge, Alan Katz, Kekla Magoon, Wendell and Florence Minor, Barbara O'Connor, Lin Oliver, Jason Reynolds, Lori Richmond, Stephen Savage, Matt Tavares, Duncan Tonatiuh and Eugene Yelchin. Kate DiCamillo and Jacqueline Woodson at the adult conference. Breakfast and Books event in March with Molly Bang, David Small, and Sarah Stewart.

2018

 Laurie Halse Anderson, Brian Biggs, Harry Bliss, Suzanne Bloom, Bruce Degen, Kelly DiPucchio, Chris Grabenstein, Ryan T. Higgins, Scott Magoon, Megan McDonald, Zachariah OHora, James Ransome, Lesa Cline-Ransome, Adam Rex, Steve Sheinkin. Jon Scieszka and Peter H. Reynolds at the adult conference. Breakfast and Books event in March with Carmen Agra Deedy. Special tour events with Jan Brett and Kate DiCamillo.

2017

Joan Bauer, Lauren Castillo, Henry Cole, Matthew Cordell, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Sharon Draper, Tad Hills, Jennifer Holm, Matt Holm, Brandon Mull, Christian Robinson, Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Phil Stead, Melissa Sweet. Patricia MacLachlan and Kadir Nelson at the Adult Conference. Special Breakfast and Books event with Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple in March. Special Tour Event with David Shannon in October.

2016

Peter Brown, David Carter, Matt de la Pena, Brian Floca, Loren Long, Linda Sue Park, Trent Reedy, Aaron Reynolds, Bob Shea, Salina Yoon. Louis Sachar and Sara Pennypacker at the Adult Conference. Special tour event on October 25 with Dav Pilkey

2015

Andrew Clements, Carmen Deedy, Denise Fleming, Eric Litwin, Peter Lourie, Jerry Pallotta, Janet Stevens. Richard Peck at the Adult Conference. Special SKYPE session with Tomie dePaola. Special tour event on December 8 with Jan Brett.

2014

Nick Bruel, Floyd Cooper, Jack Gantos, J. Patrick Lewis, Brian Lies, Dandi Mackall, Jim Murphy, Steve Jenkins, and Jeff Kurrus. Rosemary Wells at the Adult Conference.

2013 

Anna Dewdney, Candace Fleming, Marla Frazee, Barbara McClintock, Marc Tyler Nobleman, Eric Rohmann, Judy Schachner, and Neal Shusterman. Kevin Henkes at the Adult Conference.

2012 

R.W. and Zoe Alley, Jarrett Kosoczka, Tom Lichtenheld, Andrea Pinkney, Ted Scheu, Gary Schmidt, and Clare Vanderpool. David Wiesner at the Adult Conference.

2011 

Eileen Christelow, Bill Harley, Grace Lin, Brian Pinkney, Barbara Robinson, Roland Smith and DyAnne DiSalvo. Jerry Pinkney at the Endowment Dinner.

2010 

Ashley Bryan, Alyssa Capucilli, Dan Gutman, Ralph Masiello, Patricia Polacco, Pat Schories, and Sarah Weeks. Carmen Deedy & John McCutcheon at the Endowment Dinner.

2009 

John Archambault, David Biedrzycki, John Erickson, Carmen Deedy, Shelley Gill, Gordon Korman, and Preston McDaniels. Authors Readers Theater: Avi, Sarah Weeks, Richard Peck and Pam Muñoz Ryan at the Endowment Dinner. 

2008 

Cynthia DeFelice, Gail Gibbons, Mo Willems, Mike Graf, Joan Bauer, and Hans Wilhelm. Lois Lowry at the Endowment Dinner.

2007 

Andrew Clements, Ted & Betsy Lewin, Peg Kehret, Robin Brickman, and Richard Peck. Laura Numeroff at the Endowment Dinner.

2006 

Ted Kooser (U.S. Poet Laureate), Tedd Arnold, Joseph Bruchac, Patricia Reilly Giff, Nikki Grimes, and Ashley Wolff. Marc Brown at the Endowment Dinner.

2005 

Janet Stevens, Susan Stevens Crummel, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Elisa Carbone, W. Nikola-Lisa and Stephen Swinburne

2004 

Steven Kellogg, Patricia McKissack, Ben Mikaelsen, Jerry Pallotta

2003 

Brod Bagert, Lisa Campbell Ernst, June Rae Wood, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Brad Sneed

2002 

EB Lewis, Jim Aylesworth, Mary Downing Hahn, Sneed Collard III, Sandy Asher

2001 

Will Hobbs, Cheryl Harness, Helen Lester, Teri Sloat

2000 

Paul O. Zelinsky, Denise Fleming, Patricia Calvert, Caroline Arnold 

1999 

Emily Arnold McCully, Ivy Ruckman, Chris Demarest, David Harrison 

1998 

Ruth Heller, Shirley Climo 

1997

William Anderson

1996 

Janet Stevens