Unbound’s core mission is to encourage a love of reading and writing in people of all ages, but take special pleasure in bringing authors to connect with our youngest readers.

Research consistently shows that bringing authors to speak and connect with students is one of the most effective ways to encourage literacy and a passion for reading. Through the generous support of the Assistance League of Mid-Missouri, Daniel Boone Regional Library, the CPS Foundation, the Unbound team accomplishes this and purchases additional copies of the authors’ books for school libraries.

We are doubly pleased to announce that this year, we’re bringing TWO authors into the Columbia public schools. The Authors in the Schools keynote speakers in 2025 are Pedro Martin and Ellen Oh. In addition to visiting four schools across Columbia on Friday, the two authors will appear at the Columbia Public Library on Saturday morning. Readers ages 10 and up are invited to see Ellen Oh at 10 a.m. and Pedro Martin at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the library.

Pedro Martin is the Newbery Honor Award, Eisner Award, Harvey Award, and the Pura Belpré Author and Illustrator award-winning author of Mexikid, a graphic memoir about a Mexican-American boy’s family and their adventure-filled road trip to bring their abuelito back from Mexico to live with them. Mexikid has landed on many end of the year best-of lists, including The New York Times Book Review, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Amazon, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, The Guardian, and Booklist.

Ellen Oh is the editor and author of You Are Here, with eleven other amazing authors, and the author of the middle grade novels Haru, Zombie Dog Hero, Finding Junie Kim, The Dragon Egg Princess, and The Spirit Hunters trilogy (Spirit Hunters, Island of Monsters, and Something Wicked), the YA speculative fiction novel Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee, and the YA fantasy trilogy The Prophecy Series.

Pedro Martin and Ellen Oh Will Headline Authors in Schools!

Our 2025 Keynote Speaker Is Min Jin Lee!