SURN Joy of Literacy and Literature Conference

Join us as we cultivate the joy of reading, with a full day of interactive and engaging sessions by teachers and other experts in K-12 literacy and literature. Come explore ways to kindle your students’ passion for reading a good book!

Keynote

Carmen Agra Deedy is an award-winning author of sixteen books for young readers and an Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) 2026 nominee for writing and storytelling. Deedy’s award-winning books include The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!, Martina the Beautiful Cockroach, Rita and Ralph’s Rotten Day, and 14 Cows for America, a New York Times Bestseller. Her latest books are Wombat Said Come In, Carina Felina, and The Peanut Man, released in March 2025.

Her personal stories first appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered. Funny, insightful, and frequently irreverent, Deedy’s narratives are culled from her childhood as a Cuban refugee in Decatur, Georgia. She hosts the four-time Emmy-winning children’s program, Love That Book!

Deedy is also an accomplished lecturer. She has been a guest speaker at the Library of Congress, Columbia University, the TED and TEDx Conferences, and the Kennedy Center, among other distinguished venues. An editor and lifelong advocate for libraries, she previously served on the Advisory Board of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.

AUDIENCE

K-12 Teachers, Coaches, Specialists, & Leaders

DETAILS

Tuesday, February 23, 2027
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; Check-in starts at 8:00 a.m.
William & Mary School of Education

FEES

$200/person - SURN Division Member
$300/person - General (Non-SURN Division Member)

Includes morning coffee, conference, materials, & lunch

Register here:

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Please email surn@wm.edu with any dietary needs you have prior to February 9, 2027. After this date, we are not able to accommodate dietary requests.

SURN is unable to provide a refund for this event. If a registered individual cannot attend, a substitute can be sent in their place. Please email surn@wm.edu with this change.

Registration will close approximately one week in advance of this event or earlier, if the event reaches capacity. We will update this webpage when registration closes.

For a full list of SURN Division Members, please visit SURN. If you're interested in your division joining SURN, please have your Superintendent or Superintendent's designee contact Dr. Amy Colley, SURN’s Executive Director, at accolley@wm.edu.

Please email surn@wm.edu with questions about registration or this event.