The Arkansas Center for the Book and the Library of Congress Center for the Book Affiliates Network present a National Book Festival “Festival Near You” program. Please join us with T. L. Simpson as we discuss our Arkansas 2026 Great Read for Youth selection, Cope Field (Flux, 2025). Experience the National Book Festival right here in the Natural State! T. L. Simpson’s discussion will be followed by a book signing.
Event information
- Date: Saturday, August 29, 11:00 a.m. Central Time
- Location: North Little Rock Public Library System – William F. Laman Library, 2801 Orange Street, North Little Rock, AR 72114
This event is free and open to the public.
About the Book
Crawford “Craw” Cope has anger issues. Or so they say.
When Craw is sentenced to community service for hitting his father in the head with a baseball bat, he accepts his punishment without objection, knowing he’s actually lucky. If he weren’t the son of a famous former baseball player, he’d probably have gotten it a lot worse. So, Craw keeps his mouth shut and takes what life gives him. Like always.
But when he arrives at community service, which frustratingly turns out to be repairing a dilapidated ball field to be named after his father, he meets Hannah Flores, a punk rock enthusiast trapped in the Ozarks with zero filter. As Craw navigates his own explosive home life, he learns more about hers. And as their friendship blossoms into something more, he begins to understand the importance of speaking his truth, even when doing so might destroy the only life he’s ever known.
About the Author
T. L. Simpson is an award-winning journalist and novelist living in Arkansas. He is currently the editor of his hometown paper, The Courier. His fiction draws from his experiences growing up in the Ozarks, covering both sports and crime. Simpson lives in the Arkansas River Valley, between the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, with his wife and four children. His debut contemporary YA novel, Strong Like You, was released in 2024. His next book, Accelerant, will be released on October 20, 2026.
The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the views or official policies of the State of Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Education, or the Arkansas State Library.