Gordon Korman, the bestselling author of “Swindle,” “The Fort,” “Ungifted” and more than 100 other books for young readers, is coming to Newton Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28. The event, in the library’s INTRUST Room, is free and open to readers of all ages — adults and children alike. Tickets are available now at the library’s front desk.
“We are thrilled to bring Gordon Korman to Newton,” said Sara Rickard, children’s librarian at Newton Public Library. “His books are funny, his characters are relatable, and he builds his stories around great ‘what if’ questions. What if your teacher were a robot? What if humans could be cloned? Our Korman book display has been hard to keep stocked for months.”
Korman published his first novel, “This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall,” with Scholastic when he was 14 years old. His 30 million-plus books in print include the Swindle mysteries, The Hypnotists and titles in The 39 Clues series. Kansas readers may also know him from the William Allen White Children’s Book Award, chosen by student voters and administered by Emporia State University: his novel “The Fort” won the 2025 award in the grades 6-8 category, and “Restart” took the same category in 2020.
The April 28 library event anchors a three-day Newton visit that also includes eight presentations at local schools. School librarians have been building toward the visit since last fall, using Korman’s books in read-alouds and book clubs, with additional copies purchased by Newton Public Library for both school and library collections.
Korman’s visit is funded by the Florence Bessmer Foundation. Florence Bessmer, a lifelong Newton resident and former teacher, established the foundation on her 101st birthday to support the library’s work with children. The children’s library inside the current Newton Public Library building is named in her honor. Overseen by an independent board of trustees the foundation has donated more than $1.6 million for books and children’s media, as well as children’s programming and related resources, since 1979. Last year, it brought award-winning educator and musician Jim Gill to Newton.
“Florence Bessmer’s generosity is what makes this possible,” Rickard said. “Generations of Newton kids have grown up with books and programs funded by her foundation, and bringing Gordon Korman to town is part of that ongoing investment.”
Free tickets for the April 28 event are available at the Newton Public Library front desk. Copies of Korman’s books are also available for checkout, and Faith & Life Bookstore will have books for sale at the event.