2022 Read To Me Virtual Conference

Thursday, June 2, 2022
8:00 a.m – 1:00 p.m. HST – Detailed schedule below

This is a FREE virtual conference to be held via Zoom on Thursday, June 2, 2022. Registration by May 30 is required to join the conference and to be eligible to receive a DHS training certificate or DOE non-PDE3 credit.

E-Program Available Here

Recordings of select sessions and keynote speakers are available HERE until July 6, 2022.

Welcome to “Take A Break and Read, E Ho‘omaha a Heluhelu Akula: Elevating Hope and Resilience through Literature” the 2022 Read To Me Conference where everything you could hope for in a children’s literacy conference can be found. Join us for outstanding authors, speakers, and presenters who will inspire you to engage in your child’s world of books and reading.

Whether you are an early childhood educator, an elementary school teacher, a librarian, a parent, a caregiver, a children’s program manager, or just someone who is interested in sharing the love and joy of reading aloud, this conference is for you!

Discover the unexpected magic that awaits a child through books and read-alouds!

Mahalo to our conference sponsors!

This conference is made possible in part by funding from Hawaiʻi Council of the Humanities through the Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act.

Keynote Speakers:

Kate DiCamillo is a Newberry Medalist and nationally best-selling author with more than 25 books written (and counting!). The theme of hope and belief amid impossible circumstances is a common thread in much of Kate DiCamillo’s writing.

In her instant #1 New York Times bestseller The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, a haughty rabbit undergoes a profound transformation after finding himself facedown on the ocean floor—lost, and waiting to be found. The Tale of Despereaux—the Newbery Medal–winning novel that later inspired an animated adventure from Universal Pictures—stars a tiny mouse with exceptionally large ears who is driven by love to become an unlikely hero. And The Magician’s Elephant, an acclaimed and exquisitely paced fable, dares to ask the question, What if?

Kate DiCamillo, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015, says about stories, “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.” Born in Philadelphia, the author lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week.

Minh Lê is the author of the picture books Lift (Eisner Award nominee) and Drawn Together (winner of the 2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature) illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat, Let Me Finish! (named an NPR Best Book of 2016) illustrated by Isabel Roxas, and The Perfect Seat illustrated by Gus Gordon. He also wrote Green Lantern: Legacy, a middle grade graphic novel, illustrated by Andie Tong, for DC Comics. In addition to writing books, he serves on the Board of We Need Diverse Books, is on the faculty of the Hamline MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and has written for a variety of publications, including the New York Times, The Horn Book, NPR, and HuffPost.

Outside of spending time with his wonderful wife and children at their home in San Diego, Minh’s favorite place to be is in the middle of a good book.

Please Note: Due to a death in his family, author-illustrator Dan Santat has asked his dear friend and collaborator, author Minh Lê, to serve in his stead as the keynote speaker. We wish Dan and his family the best as they mourn the loss of a close family member.

Professional Development for Department of Education and Early Childhood Professionals:

For DOE teachers wanting to receive 5 non PDE3 credit hours, please register for this conference on PDE3 (pde3.k12.hi.us). Registration closes on May 30. You must register and attend the conference in its entirety to receive credit. Attendance reports from Zoom will be generated to confirm that non PDE3 registrants attended the conference in its entirety.

Course Title: Read to Me Hawai’i Conference 2022
Course Number: LA187367
Section Number: 308079

For early childhood professionals wanting to receive DHS Registry credit, Read to Me International will provide certificates that practitioners may submit. Please note that only those that complete the survey at the end of the conference will receive certificates. That is currently the most accurate way for us to verify that you attended the conference in full.

Schedule: