A Celebration of Books,
Writers & LIterary Excellence

Save the Date


Gaithersburg
Book Festival

May 17, 2025

10am – 6pm

Bohrer Park


Michelle Knudsen

Latest Title: Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten
Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten
Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten by Michelle Knudsen

From the New York Times best-selling creators of Library Lion comes a warm (and delightfully fuzzy) storybook about learning to be—and be loved for—exactly who you are.

On a street of old houses, a big hairy spider is searching for a home with dark corners to hide in. But when he wakes up, he finds a hand reaching for him and a lady proclaiming that she has always wanted a kitten—and will name him Luigi! At first, a somewhat puzzled Luigi, used to being left alone to creep and dangle and spin webs, resists her kind advances. But soon, tasty breakfasts and getting tucked into bed (no one’s ever wished him good night before) have him thinking that kittens surely live magical lives. I will be a kitten! he decides. But how long can he keep up his facade, and what might be at stake in pretending to be someone you’re not? The award-winning duo behind Library Lion delivers another classic in the making, marked by humor and depth, endearing characters, and the assurance that the right people will accept and adore us, unconditionally, just as we are.

About Michelle Knudsen

Michelle Knudsen is the New York Times best-selling author of more than 50 books for children and young adults, including the award-winning “Library Lion” (one of Time magazine’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time). Other titles include the picture book, “Marilyn’s Monster” (NPR’s Best Books), and the novels, “The Dragon of Trelian” (VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers) and “Evil Librarian” (YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults; Sid Fleischman Humor Award). Her latest is “Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten,” illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Michelle teaches writing at Lesley University and lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.

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Instagram: @michelle.knudsen

Twitter: @michelleknudsen

Author Schedule:

Venue(s):

Jim Henson Pavilion

Presentation Start Time:

12:15 pm

Presentation End Time:

1:05 pm

Signing Time:

1:15 pm

Presentation Authors: