GRTBF Mission

Since being established in 2006, the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival (TBF) has been an opportunity for public and school librarians to dedicate an event solely to teens, to encourage reading some of the best titles aimed at young adults, and to offer a place where readers can interact with award-winning authors. Our mission is to foster a community effort to celebrate and promote reading by connecting teens and authors.

TBF is committed to creating opportunities to celebrate the value of teens within our literary communities and focuses attention on the authors who write for them.

The TBF Event is free and open to everyone, but the focus of the day will be on teens (grades 6-12) and as such they will receive priority in all sessions not specified as being for adults. Adults may be asked to leave sessions that are full if teens are waiting to be admitted. If you have any questions about this policy, please email questions@teenbookfest.org

Adults will be asked to wait to enter until 5 minutes prior to the start of the session. At the same time, prior to the start of the session, if teens arrive the adults will be asked if they would be willing to give up their seat in the session for the teen.

Here’s what you can do at the TBF event:

• Meet all of your favorite (or soon-to-be-favorite) authors
• Attend author presentations offered throughout the day
• Request authors’ autographs in books of your choice or on a TBF T-shirt
• Hang out with your friends and other teens that like to read
• Purchase books and TBF merchandise you’ll find only at the Fest
• Possibly win a raffle drawing
• Have a great time during this fun-filled event

The goals of this community effort are to:

• Connect teen readers to award-winning authors
• Entertain, educate, and enrich the lives of all Teen Book Fest participants
• Encourage interaction between aspiring teen writers and established authors
• Bring teens together socially who enjoy reading and to spread that enjoyment to others
• Celebrate, promote, and support recreational reading
• Have fun!

Don’t miss out! Make plans now to attend the next Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival. To get all of the latest information about TBF delivered right to your inbox, subscribe to our e-mail newsletter. See “Subscribe” below to sign up. Help keep TBF free to attend. Click here to donate now!