We are incredibly grateful to everyone who joined us for the 3rd Annual Words of Wonder (WOW) Literary Festival. Your presence and enthusiasm made the day truly special.
Thank you for being a part of our WOW community and helping us bring the joy of books and art to life! We can’t wait to see you again on July 26th!
Step Into a World of Wonder at the 4th Annual Words of Wonder Literary Festival!
Join us on the South Side of Chicago for a one-of-a-kind celebration where imagination runs wild and stories come to life!
The Words of Wonder Literary Festival is more than just a festival—it’s a joyful explosion of books, creativity, and culture for readers and writers of all ages. Whether you're a budding bookworm or a seasoned storyteller, there's something here for everyone!
Immerse yourself in:
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Interactive literacy and art experiences
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Vibrant storytelling led by beloved Black authors and illustrators
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Story-inspired dance, live music, and drumming rooted in Indigenous and African traditions
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Hands-on writing workshops and engaging installations
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A diverse marketplace of book vendors and community organizations
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Tasty snacks, healthy food, fun giveaways, and so much more!
Bring the whole family and get ready to read, write, dance, and dream!
2024 Sponsors
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Our 2025 Author Headliner is
Kwame Alexander
Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, Emmy-winning producer and #1 New York
Times bestselling author of 42 books, including the new release How Sweet The Sound, Black Star, the second installment of his Door of No Return trilogy, This Is The Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets, Why Fathers Cry at Night, An American Story, the Coretta Scott King Award-winning book illustrated by Dare Coulter, The Door of No Return, Becoming Muhammad Ali (co-authored with James Patterson), Rebound, which was shortlisted for the prestigious UK Carnegie Medal, and The Undefeated, the National Book Award nominee, Newbery Honor, and Caldecott Medal-winning picture book illustrated by Kadir Nelson.
Kwame is also the Emmy-winning Executive Producer, Showrunner, and Writer of The Crossover TV series, based on his Newbery-Medal winning novel of the same name, which premiered on Disney+ in April 2023. The series was produced in partnership
with LeBron James' SpringHill Company and Big Sea Entertainment, Kwame's production company that is dedicated to creating innovative, highly original children’s and family entertainment. Other current projects in development at Big Sea include America’s Next Great Author, the groundbreaking reality television series for writers.
A regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, Kwame is the creator and host of the Why Fathers Cry podcast, premiering September 2023, featuring conversations about love and parenting and loss, with fathers and sons. He regularly shares his passion for literacy, books and the craft of writing around the world at events like the Chautauqua Lecture Series, the Edinburgh Book Festival, Aspen Ideas, and the Global Literacy Symposium in Ghana, where he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana. Most recently he was appointed the Rudell Artistic Director of Literary Arts and Writer-in Residence at the Chautauqua Institution.
His mission is to change the world, one word at a time.
You can learn more about him at www.kwamealexander.com.
Meet the Host
Zion Ali is a dynamic performer and singer-songwriter whose music uplifts and inspires, particularly focusing on youth empowerment. With songs like “I Believe,” “Make it Through,” and from his youth-centered album “I Believe in Youth,” Zion has captured the hearts of audiences across Chicago and beyond. He’s also made waves performing at major events like the Bud Billiken Parade and the UniverSoul Circus.
Follow Zion Ali social handles
Instagram: @zionaliofficial
Facebook: @Zion Ali
LinkedIn: @Zion Ali
Partner with Us!
This one-of-a-kind sponsorship opportunity
will allow you to be a part of history!
The 4th Annual Words of Wonder Literary Festival is more than an event — it’s a movement to celebrate and amplify the voices of young readers, writers, and storytellers on the South Side of Chicago. Each year, we bring together hundreds of families for a day filled with animated storytelling, live music, art, workshops, and community connection.
By becoming a sponsor, you’re investing in literacy, creativity, and community. Your support helps us provide free and enriching experiences, bring in diverse authors and artists, and create a space where stories come to life.
Our 2025 Headliner Illustrator is
London Ladd
London Ladd is an award-winning illustrator whose work has been featured in publications such as HarperCollins, Philomel Books, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Scientific American and community-based murals. Utilizing a unique mixed-media technique, he brings various subjects to life by combining acrylic paint, cut paper, and tissue paper. Each image is infused with emotion, reflecting the artist's dedication to portraying the essence of life.
He serves as an Assistant Teaching Professor at Syracuse University, where he received his BFA and MFA degrees. Ladd received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the State University of New York and multiple nominations for an NAACP Image Award. He was also shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards, and several organizations, including the Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, American Illustration, and the American Library Association, have recognized his work.
His vision is to establish a visual arts community center in Syracuse, NY, where lower-income families can engage in artistic activities in a fun and creative environment.
You can see his works at www.londonladd.com.
What Attendees Had to Say About The Festival
Our 2025 Mainstage Moderator is
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Lesa Cline-Ransome is the author of numerous non-fiction and historical fiction titles for picture book, chapter book, middle grade and young adult readers and her work has been named to ALA Notable Books and Bank Street Best Children’s Book lists.
Her verse biography of Harriet Tubman, Before She Was Harriet was nominated for an NAACP image award and received a Jane Addams Honor, Christopher Award and Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration. Her debut middle grade novel, Finding Langston, won the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and received the Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor. The companion novels Leaving Lymon and Being Clem complete the Finding Langston trilogy. For Lamb is her debut YA historical fiction novel set in Jim Crow Mississippi.
A 2022 NAIBA Legacy Award recipient, Lesa has received numerous honors and awards including NAACP Awards , Kirkus Best Book, New York Public Library Best Book, SLJ Best Book, CBC Choice Awards, two Top 10 Sports Books for Youth, and an Orbis Pictus Recommended Book.
She is currently an SCBWI Advisory Council member and host of KidLitTV's Past Present: Giving Past Stories New Life.
She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband and frequent collaborator, James Ransome and their family.
You can learn more about her at www.lesaclineransome.com.
Performances
Outdoor Performance
12 pm to 1 pm
Our 2025 Mainstage Moderator is
James E. Ransome
James E. Ransome has been honored with the 2023 Children's Literature Legacy Award by the American Library Association in recognition of his exceptional contributions to Children's Literature. With a career spanning over 33 years, James has illustrated more than 70 books. His passion for drawing was kindled in Rich Square, NC, and as a teenager, he moved to Bergenfield, NJ, before pursuing a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.
Ransome's remarkable talent has garnered him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Coretta Scott King Awards, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, ALA Notables, a Jane Addams Award, and NAACP Image awards. He has also showcased his artistry through murals displayed at notable locations such as the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Poughkeepsie's Adriance Memorial Library, and the Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati.
In recent years, James has extended his artistic prowess to create theater posters for Washington DC's Arena Stage. Furthermore, his illustrations have been featured in the History Channel Documentary "Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War" narrated by James' childhood basketball idol, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He resides in New York State alongside his wife and frequent collaborator, author Lesa Cline-Ransome.
You can see his works at www.jamesransome.com.
Media Features
Outdoor Activities
Since 2018, Project sWish Chicago (PSC) has impacted and reached more than 5,500 youth and young adults through free innovative programming and effective youth-centered resilience and advocacy practices. The mission of PSC is to create a space where men and women utilize basketball, art therapy, music therapy, mental health programming and other innovative healing practices to navigate through histories and moments of trauma and violence.
Project sWish Chicago was founded by 26-year-old Whitney Young and Xavier University Alum in 2018 from a place of pain. McKinley Nelson struggled with his own mental health challenges due to the untimely death of dozens of friends due to senseless gun violence. McKinley’s mission is to harness the power of what happens on the court to change and save lives off the court.
For more information, please visit Projectswishchicago.com
We are excited to have Project sWish partner with us this year to host basketball skills camp and mindfulness activities. Signup link to participate will be released by March 1, 2025.
Hosted from 2 pm to 6 pm at the fest, the Children’s Entrepreneur Market is an award-winning program that teaches young people about the power of entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership through experiential learning. The markets started in Utah and sold out for five years straight, helping nearly 10,000 kids before expanding to 24 additional states.
Parents and kids everywhere agree that learning and earning in a competitive environment is a unique and fun experience. Kids rise to the challenge of deciding what to sell, creating a booth, talking to customers, and handling money. A growing number of markets showcase returning youth entrepreneurs who desire additional development of their skills and small business.
There will be up to 50 booths available for youth entrepreneurs. Visit Children's Entrepreneur Market's website to be notified when registration opens up.
Transitions Area
This area will focus on providing resources for parents with children who need learning, physical, socioemotional and behavioral support. The focus will be from birth to 22 years old.
In addition, in that area will be manipulatives and items that can aid children while at the festival too. For example, noise cancelling headphones and fidgets. This area will be hosted by parents, educators and specialists.
Activation Stations
Chess Tournament
A Step Ahead Chess is hosting our FIRST EVER Burst Into Books Chess Tournament at the Words of Wonder Festival on July 26th, 2025.
All ages are welcome to play and compete, and trophies and medals will be awarded!
Below is the schedule for the chess:
11:00 AM - 12:45 PM
Open Chess Play
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
Free Chess Demo and Tournament Rules
1:45 PM - 2:45 PM
Chess Tournament
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Awards Ceremony
Flash Hoops
FlashHoops is the fun, free, smart app for developing youth math skills through short workouts led by elite athletes. We fuse physical activity and gamification while learning to boost interest, provide tailored learning tracks and keep youth on the move!
Railroad Tracks Music Academy
We’re proud to welcome Railroad Tracks Music Academy to the 4th Annual WOW Lit Fest! Dedicated to elevating the artistry, musicianship, and entrepreneurial spirit of creatives in urban communities, this dynamic organization is helping shape the next generation of changemakers through music and mentorship.
Stop by their station at the festival and experience firsthand how they’re building bridges from rhythm to resilience. Whether you're a budding musician, a lover of sound, or simply curious, you’ll be inspired by how music and entrepreneurship are being used as tools for transformation.
Open Books
We are excited to have Open Books host our Readers' Choice Area at the festival. Attendees will be able to choose a book, find a comfortable seat and take a journey through a book.
All the books in this area will be free and able to be taken home to add to your own home library.
Youth & Family Area
Food Trucks
