We’ll continue to share more information about the event as details are confirmed. Graphic made in Canva.
Registration now open for SoKidLit Difference Makers Day!
THIS free festival returns on Saturday, February 10, 2024
SoKidLit’s back in 2024—this time in a partnership with the MTSU College of Education’s Difference Makers program!
Young readers grades 3 through 5 are invited to attend this free festival to
interact with a professional author
participate in fun activities involving art, literacy, math, and more
go home with a free book by our featured author
be inspired to be the authors of their own story—as writers, illustrators, educators, problem solvers, and DIFFERENCE MAKERS—not just when they’re grown, but now!
SoKidLit Difference Makers Day will be held Saturday, February 10, 2024, from 9:00 am to noon at the MTSU College of Education. We’ll be posting more details as we confirm them.
More about the festival
SoKidLit Difference Makers Day is a FREE one-day event for children in grades 3 through 5. Held at MTSU’s College of Education, this community event welcomes children and their families, educators, and community members from across Middle Tennessee and beyond.
Participants will experience interactive stations centered around literacy, math, and education with professional authors, teachers, and MTSU faculty and student volunteers. Each participant will receive a free book by our featured author, who we’ll be announcing soon!
A guardian or chaperone should all accompany all children they bring to the festival for the entire time.
SoKidLit is a biennial festival begun in 2022 as a collaboration of the Rutherford Arts Alliance and its literary arts interest group, Rutherford Lit, with the MTSU College of Education and a team of volunteers, including area educators, writers, and reading enthusiasts.
Learn more by reading our 2022 festival recap.
Author Kristin O’Donnell Tubb to headline event
Kristin O’Donnell Tubb will be appearing at SoKidLit. Photo courtesy the author.
SoKidLit is excited to announce that Kristin O’Donnell Tubb will be our 2024 festival’s headliner.
Kristin O’Donnell Tubb is the author of The Decomposition of Jack; Luna Howls at the Moon; Zeus, Dog of Chaos; The Story Collector series, A Dog Like Daisy; John Lincoln Clem: Civil War Drummer Boy (written as E.F. Abbott); and other books. In 2024, watch for Fowl Play.
Kristin was born in East Tennessee where in sixth grade, she got to interview her favorite author by telephone: Madeleine L’Engle! She lives near Nashville, Tennessee with her bouncy-loud family. Just like her two dogs, she can be bribed with cheese.
Kristin can be found far too often on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Oh, and she has a website, too: kristintubb.com.
Illustration, STEM activities and more
Students will also participate in activities with featured illustrator Abby Reish, featured teacher Nichole Bell, illustrator Kevin Page with a special arrival-time activity, and other difference makers from our area.
How your organization can be involved
We’re currently seeking sponsorships to help fund various components of the festival. We’re pleased to announce that Murfreesboro Eye Center and Read To Succeed are our 2024 book sponsors, helping each attendee receive a free book by our featured author. Additional sponsors include local Schaeffer Oil representative Tara Syester; MTSU’s Distinguished Lecture Fund; Middle Tennessee Writing Project; and Dr. Arthur Edwards.
Additional sponsorships are needed! Email sokidlit@rutherfordartsalliance.org for more information.
Inclusion Statement
SoKidLit supports a world in which everyone belongs. We seek to empower a just, inclusive, and equitable community through our authors, activities and overall festival experience.
Enjoy some photos from our 2022 event!
