If you’re lucky, you discover the wonder of books when you’re a child. At the 2019 Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading, books for young readers are in the spotlight.

R.L. Stine will bring the shivers, Meg Cabot will dish up the romance, and Eoin Colfer will deliver comic fantasy. They’re just three of the eight outstanding authors for young readers appearing at this year’s festival.

There’s plenty for adult readers, too, with a total of 50 authors on hand. The always hilarious Dave Barry will impart wisdom from his dog, award-winning novelist and memoirist Edwidge Danticat will talk about her craft, and bestselling crime fiction writers Michael Koryta, Lori Roy and Lisa Unger will gather for the Bourbon & Books panel.

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Bring your burning political questions for the PolitiFact panel. And if you just can’t figure out what to read next, Jeff Klinkenberg will talk about “Books Every Floridian Should Read.”

The Times Festival of Reading will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 9 at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, 140 Seventh Ave. S. The event is free, and parking is available nearby.

Books by all festival authors will be for sale on site, and all authors will sign their books after their talks. (To expedite lines, signing will be limited to no more than three books per person per author.) The festival also includes a book market and food vendors.

In the Library Lounge outside the Poynter Library on campus, you can meet Lane DeGregory, Times enterprise reporter and host of the WriteLane weekly podcast. What’s your favorite children’s book? Stop by to tell her so she can record your answer for the podcast (10 to 11 a.m.). Meet Times food and lifestyle editor Michelle Stark and Times food critic Helen Freund to get cooking inspiration and snacks (10 a.m. to noon). And come meet puppies from Southeastern Guide Dogs!

Find a schedule, a map and author bios at the festival website. To read interviews with festival authors and reviews of their books, go to the event’s Facebook page.