‘Walking on Water Conference’ recommended reading list pairs L’Engle titles, modern must-reads
Bibliophiles love a good “to read” list, and we will not disappoint you now.
As part of our prep for “Walking on Water: The Madeleine L’Engle Conference” this November, conference co-director Sarah Arthur has curated a list of books you’ll want to add to your stack, post haste. The list is categorized by genre – and we encourage you to take that as a challenge to read broadly. Let’s take a cue from Madeleine, shall we?, the woman who read poetry, fairy tales, and astrophysics.
We’ve included Sarah’s Recommended Reads list as an attachment, for those who (like me!) want to print the list for easy reference. Not that we’re keeping score, but I’ve read fifteen titles (and counting) so far. Most recently, I’ve devoured 2019 Newbery Honor Book The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani and The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser. In my job as a school librarian, I’ve made it my life’s ambition to get as many readers as possible to discover these books (and the rest on the list!). I hope the list inspires such enthusiastic sharing with your fellow readers, too.
What have you read from this list that you’d recommend? What are you excited to read next? Comment below.
By the way, we encourage you to find these books through Books of Wonder online, in their stores, or at the pop-up bookstore at the conference. Thanks for supporting indie sellers.
In other Walking on Water Conference news: We’ve extended the deadline for early-bird registration to Sept. 15!
The inaugural Madeleine L’Engle Conference will feature hands-on workshops, panel discussions, lunch groups, live music, plenary sessions, and more. All are welcome to join this lively and generative conversation centered around L’Engle’s signature treatise on faith & art, Walking on Water.
Conference highlights include acclaimed children’s author Katherine Paterson (Bridge to Terabithia, The Great Gilly Hopkins), Newbery-Honor-winner Veera Hiranandani (The Night Diary), National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi (American Street, My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich), A Wrinkle in Time film producer Catherine Hand, music by award-winning singer-songwriter Audrey Assad, and much more. The conference, in partnership with Writing For Your Life, is honored to work with collaborators We Need Diverse Books, Books of Wonder bookstore, Stage Partners, and Macmillan, as well as host venue and co-sponsor All Angels’ Church, to welcome artists, writers, readers, & students to the Upper West Side neighborhood that Madeleine called home.
Register and find more information here, including details about a Friday retreat and a special young adult discount price.
Can’t wait to see you there!
~Erin F. Wasinger for MadeleineLEngle.com.
