Author Spotlight with Mac Barnett
***BEFORE YOU REGISTER FOR THIS ON-DEMAND WEBINAR PLEASE REVIEW IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INFORMATION BELOW***
A PLA 2026 Virtual Conference On-Demand Webinar
Available free to PLA individual members
A book for adults about books for children, a rallying cry for art and imagination, and a celebration of the power of storytelling in all our lives. Make Believe is bestselling children’s author Mac Barnett’s incisive, intimate, and timely invitation to approach children’s literature not only as an art form worthy of deep study and criticism, but as a portal into the lives of the children. And at a time when we are faced with a national literacy crisis, he champions the profound joys of literature and the importance of reading for pleasure.
Originally presented during the PLA 2026 Virtual Conference, April 1–3, 2026.
Registration is free, but PLA individual membership is required.
Who Should Attend
This on-demand webinar, available free to PLA individual members, is intended for any public library worker wishing to sample the offerings of the PLA 2026 Virtual Conference.
If you were registered for the PLA 2026 Virtual Conference, or were an in-person full-conference registrant who purchased the Virtual Conference add-on, then your access to this recording in the online Conference console ended July 3, 2026.
Speaker
Mac Barnett is the ninth U.S. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, appointed by the Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader. He’s a New York Times-bestselling author of stories for children and the writer, with Jon Klassen, of Looking at Picture Books, a newsletter for adults about how picture books work. Barnett’s work has been translated into more than thirty languages and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. His books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Germany’s Jugendliteraturpreis, China’s Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature Award, The Netherlands’ Silver Griffel, and Italy’s Premio Orbil.
Mac Barnett appears courtesy Hachette/Little, Brown.
Important Registration Information
An ALA eLearning account is required to register. Don’t have an account? Create one for free by going to the “Log in” menu located at the top right corner of your screen. Although no membership is required to create the account, you must be a PLA member to register for this PLA member-exclusive on-demand recording. If you encounter any issues registering for this event, then please email ce@ala.org for assistance.
Accommodations
This on-demand webinar is closed captioned in English (United States).
If you have a physical or communication need that may affect your access to this on-demand webinar, please contact us at plawebinars@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752) prior to registering so we can attempt to provide appropriate accommodations.
Tech Requirements
To play this on-demand webinar you should use a browser with native HTML5 support. Please use the most up-to-date version available of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, or Edge. A fast Internet connection and computer is recommended.
Contact
This webinar is presented by the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).
If you have questions or problems accessing a recording, send a message to plawebinars@ala.org or call 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752).
