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Frank Murphy

Home Featured Authors & Panelists Featured Participant Lineup 2026 Frank Murphy

Frank Murphy is an award-winning children’s book author and longtime elementary school teacher from the Philly area, whose books celebrate kindness, inclusion, empathy, leadership, and history. Best known for picture books and easy readers, such as A Boy Like You, Heroic Heart, A Puppy Like Yours, A Teacher Like You, and Brave Clara Barton, Murphy creates stories that encourage children to be confident, compassionate, and true to themselves.

 

Schedule

9:45 am to 10:15 am
Iberville Building, Le Francois Room A
Louisiana Readers’ Choice Award Ceremony
One Chicken Nugget by Tadgh Bentley
Heroic Heart: An Illustrated Biography of Joe Delaney by Frank Murphy, Charnaie Gordon, and Anastasia Magloire Williams

10:30 am to 11:30 am
Iberville Building, Le Francois Room B
Little Books, Big Lives: Picture Book Biographies
Artie Bennett, The Tenth Man: A Miracle of Jewish Faith and Friendship in New Orleans
Carlotta Walls LaNier and Lisa Frazier Page, Carlotta's Special Dress: How a Walk to School Changed Civil Rights History
Frank Murphy, Charnaie Gordon, and Anastasia Magloire Williams, Heroic Heart: An Illustrated Biography of Joe Delaney
Jason Peterson, Blues with a Butter Knife: The Unstoppable Music of CeDell Davis
with moderator Lauren Landry

11:45 am to 12:30 pm
Cavalier House Books Tent
Book Signing

2:15 pm to 2:45 pm
Children’s Author Tent 3
A Puppy Like Yours
(Ages 5 to 8)

3:00 pm to 3:45 pm
Cavalier House Books Tent
Book Signing

Heroic Heart: An Illustrated Biography of Joe Delaney

JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD GOLD STANDARD SELECTION 2023

A moving illustrated biography of the late Joe Delaney, an NFL star in the making who valued helping others above all else

On the football field, Joe Delaney possessed all the qualities of a great running back. He was fast with keen instincts, a burst of red and gold as he sprinted toward the end zone for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Off the field, he embodied the qualities of a great person: generous, hard-working, humble, and honest. Helping people was simply second nature to Joe.

In 1983, on a summer's day in Louisiana, Joe Delaney gave his life trying to save three children from drowning in a pond. While others stood by, Joe didn't hesitate before rushing into the water, though he was not a strong swimmer himself. Now, football fans of all teams honor his legacy as an extraordinarily brave young man who cared fiercely for his community. 

Written with the support of the Delaney family, Heroic Heart is a lushly illustrated, lyrical story of selflessness and courage. Adults and children alike will learn about the remarkable life of this compassionate NFL star.

A Puppy Like Yours

A joyful pick for dog lovers—young and old.

Dogs are more than pets or furry fixtures around the house. Dogs are constant companions who show us what it means to be curious, enjoy the little moments of life, and care for those who need us. Dogs teach us more about life than we teach them. So no matter what your puppy looks like or plays like—this book celebrates all the puppies out there and the ways they change our lives for the better.