One Passionate Author Meets 500 Inspiring “Wannabes” at JEP’s Festival of Books Tent
When second-grader Rio Renee Ramirez told author Carmen Bogan that she wanted to be a children’s book author and illustrator, Bogan’s eyes lit up. “You’ve already started writing stories AND you just won a writing contest?” she asked Rio at JEP’s LA Times Festival of Books tent. “You need to stick with it. You’re already on your way!” It was one of over 500 such conversations that day, each one connecting a young dreamer with the author whose book had inspired them to think bigger about their futures
Last summer, thanks to Dana Dornsife’s generous donation of 500 copies of “Willis Watson is a Wannabe” to JEP, neighborhood school children discovered Carmen Bogan’s powerful story about a young boy who finds his path to medicine after seeing a doctor who looks like him and lives in the same neighborhood as him. The book’s message about representation and possibility resonated so deeply with our students that it became the inspiration for this year’s ReadersPLUS Writing Contest prompt: “What do you want to be when you grow up and why? Who or what has inspired you?”
“Students really responded well to the book in sessions with their tutors,” explained Tina Koneazny, ReadersPLUS Director and Associate Director, Administration and Educational Outreach at JEP. “It opened up such meaningful conversations about dreams and role models that we knew we wanted to center our annual writing contest around its message.”
The contest drew submissions from elementary students across all grade levels, each sharing their dreams and the people who inspired them to reach higher. From aspiring doctors and teachers to future artists and scientists, the entries showcased the boundless imagination and ambition of our young writers.
When the Festival of Books arrived this spring, JEP invited Carmen Bogan to visit our tent, where the winning entries were proudly displayed alongside interactive activities and reading kits for visiting families. What unfolded was more than just a typical author visit; it became a celebration of young dreams meeting their champion.
Over 500 visitors stopped by the JEP tent over the weekend, and Carmen made each interaction deeply personal, asking every child during her session about their own aspirations and writing encouraging messages in the signed books they took home. The dreams she heard were as diverse as they were delightful: future doctors and teachers, yes, but also an aspiring Spiderman, a determined chef, and one particularly enthusiastic paleontologist (complete with dinosaur jacket). She created space for meaningful conversations about following dreams and finding inspiration in unexpected places.
One moment stood out especially. Rio Renee Ramirez, a second-grade contest winner, had written about her dream of becoming a children’s book author and illustrator. When Rio met Carmen, their conversation became a beautiful exchange between an established author and an emerging one.
“Rio has already started writing her first few stories,” Carmen learned during their chat. The established author’s encouragement to “stick with it” carried extra weight. It was proof that Rio’s dreams weren’t just possible, but that someone who had already achieved them believed in her potential.
The Festival of Books has always been an important showcase for ReadersPLUS, but this year’s connection between the contest winners and Carmen Bogan added an extra layer of meaning. Contest winners proudly showed their parents their displayed work while meeting the author whose book had inspired their own storytelling.
Each winner from grades K-5 received a $50 USC Bookstore gift certificate, but the real prize was seeing their words celebrated and their dreams validated by a community that believes in their potential. As families left the tent with signed books, reading kits, and memories of meaningful conversations, they carried home more than just materials – they carried the message that their children’s aspirations matter and are worth pursuing.