Dave Eggers is coming to the 2026 NCTE Annual Convention!
Eggers has been a stalwart of the writing community for decades. An award-winning author of books for readers of all ages, he is also the cofounder of 826 Valencia, a writing center for young people that has inspired similar organizations around the world. Last year, he opened the International Library of Young Authors, home to thousands of books written by young people from all over the planet.
His latest book for middle grades readers, The Avalanche Kingdom—the highly anticipated follow-up to his Newbery Medal-winning book, The Eyes and the Impossible—will be published in February 2027. Both titles are illustrated by Caldecott honoree Shawn Harris.
The Eyes and the Impossible follows the adventures of Johannes, who is half-dog and half-coyote, and his friends, Helene, a goat, and Bertrand, a seagull. It’s a “warm, comedic tale of interspecies friendship,” but “there is a deeper story here, too, about being yourself and finding freedom,” according to The New York Times.
The Avalanche Kingdom “asks tantalizing questions of nature and existence, while being, like its predecessor, a very funny, wildly lyrical, and beautifully written instant classic of literature for all ages,” according to its publisher, Penguin Random House.
Eggers’s other books for young readers include The Lifters, Soren’s Seventh Song, and Moving the Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion. Eggers’s adult books include Contrapposto, The Circle, The Every, What Is the What, and A Hologram for the King, a finalist for the National Book Award.
As both a writer of fiction for all ages and a champion of young writers, Eggers is uniquely positioned to talk about writing and reading with educators. That’s why we couldn’t be more thrilled to announce he will be the guest speaker at the Secondary Section Get-Together on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Admission is included with your Convention registration. Early-bird pricing is available through October 7, saving members $140 compared to the regular price.