Atlanta Public Schools’ Office of Equity + Social Justice (OESJ) hosted its first Young Authors Book Fair and Signing event to celebrate and promote the talented student authors within the district.
The Next Chapter: Young Authors’ Book Fair and Signing was an opportunity for the student authors to showcase their published works, which included children’s picture books, short stories, young adult fiction, and even a children’s cookbook.
“This event represents what we value most in APS, empowering students to find their voice, share their stories, and celebrate the joy of literacy,” OESJ director of Equity and Social Justice Dr. Carina Windom said. “The Young Authors Book Fair represents equity in action—it allows every student to see themselves as authors, as creators, and as changemakers. When we uplift diverse voices and honor every story, we build a stronger, more inclusive community.”
APS also welcomed back Benjamin E. Mays High School alumna and New York Times best-selling author Tayari Jones to start the book fair with a student-driven fireside chat.
Da’Shawn Catron, a junior at Mays High School and a self-published author, led the conversation with Jones and discussed everything from her literary inspirations to how a teacher at Mays recognized and encouraged her gift for writing.
“This event was great,” Catron said. “[Jones] had a lot of advice to give us as young authors. She told us how she developed her books, talked about her passion, and how she does her process.”
After the insightful discussion and questions from the audience, people lined up to purchase signed copies of books from both Jones and the student authors.
| Name | School | Book Title |
| Abbie Alexander | Midtown High School | The Unmasking Literary Magazine, Prismatic |
| Sage Burke | KIPP Strive Primary | Snack Time Adventures |
| Da’Shawn Catron | Benjamin E. Mays High School | The World is Yours |
| Jordan Culbreath | South Atlanta High School | Behind the Mask |
| Skylar Isaac | KIPP Atlanta Collegiate | A Sweet Spot College Quest Journal: Pathway to Possibilities |
| Ryder Lim | North Atlanta High School | The Accardi Job |
| Florie Low | David T. Howard Middle School | Hello, My Name is Maryanne |
| Danadra Mital | APS Alumni, Charles Drew Charter School | Adventures of Ayan: Hiking the Enchanted Falls |
| Elyse Sayers | Drew Charter School | Always Believe in Yourself! |
| Aleia Steigerwalt | David T. Howard Middle School | Once Upon a Storyline |
“This shows that the seed has been planted and now it’s growing,” Catron said. “Now we see that it’s a lot of youth coming out to showcase their products, their talent, and their greatness.”
Catron, who authored the book The World is Yours and was a winner in the Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Competition, was the inspiration behind the Young Authors’ Book Fair. While speaking with APS’ coordinator of supplier diversity, Brent Bailey, about his book, Catron also shared that there were many more student authors in APS that should be highlighted.
That conversation led to the Office of Equity + Social Justice collaborating with Library Media Services and Student Engagement to create this opportunity to empower students to find their voice, share their stories, and celebrate the joy of literacy.
“I’m so happy that we had this event to highlight our students who are writers,” Bailey said. “Not only are we buying books from our students, but students are making money. They are learning how to be business owners as well as being authors.”
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