Saturday april 15, 2023 | new bedford free public library | virtual event

We were so excited to be a part of Pokémon Go Community Day, along with our friends at the New Bedford Free Public Library, The Trustees, Mass Audubon, and Pokémon GO SouthCoast!

On April 15, fellow bird enthusiasts, nature lovers, Pokémon trainers, and readers of all ages came together for a community event which we hope will not soon be forgotten!

We are so grateful for the opportunity to have participated in this event, and special THANK YOU goes out to everyone worked diligently to make it possible.

Thursday October 6, 2022 | addison public library, addison, il | IN-PERSON EVENT | 7:00PM

Dennis Avelar and The Blue Q proudly return home to the library that helped launch it all: the Addison Public Library!

The Blue Q: How a Bird Changed The World As I See It

Dennis Avelar – the Guatemalan-American author of the award-winning novel, “The Blue Q: The World As I See It” – joins us for an unforgettable event geared towards teens and all creators of creative content who have aspirations to follow their passions and who may be uncertain on where to begin.

This is more than a book presentation by a local author, but rather a fascinating story within a story of an idea that took 25 years to become reality.

Discover how a dreamer on a road-less-travelled created a fictional world with a real-world mission, and how personal experiences enabled him to realize his true calling. 

SATURDAY OCTOBER 1, 2022 | GAIL BORDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY, ELGIN, IL | BOOK FAIR | 1:00pm TO 3:00PM

Open Books - Open Hearts

Join us as our community celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with special guests, music, dances, and Storytime!  

Come meet Dennis Avelar and other local Latino authors from our community at our first Book Fair. You can't miss it! 

Participate in a drawing for your chance to win a book basket with books from the Book Fair.

In Spanish and English. Everyone is invited! 

Thursday september 15, 2022 | aurora public library (santori branch), aurora, IL | in-person event | 6:00pm

Local author Dennis Avelar will share a special presentation about his latest book “The Blue Q: The World As I See It”. He will also share his inspiration and experience writing this thrilling story about the joys of life and environmental awareness.

Join us as we invite a local special guest: Dennis Avelar - the award-winning novelist of the internationally acclaimed story, “The Blue Q: The World As I See It“. Dennis will provide an insider’s perspective on the story of The Blue Q while constructing a format to give aspiring authors the push they need to create the universes designed by their imaginations. Learn how the son of Guatemalan immigrants returned to his roots to find the inspiration that is slowly making a difference in the lives of others.

thursday september 22, 2022 | Waukegan public library, waukegan, il | IN-PERSON EVENT | 4:00PM

The Blue Q and the Art of Storytelling: What a Pen, a Camera, a Canvass, a Bird, and a Blank Sheet of Paper all have in common.

Dennis Avelar - award winning, Guatemalan-American author and Illinois resident - will host an event for teens who enjoy the fascinating world of storytelling: from young adult fantasy novels to mysterious page-turning thrillers that leave us wanting more; from binge-worthy streaming series to blockbuster films; and of storytellers across all forms of art and expression.

Using “The Blue Q: The World As I See It” as its core, this storytelling workshop will allow students to learn the building blocks of how to develop their own ideas and how they can best use their creativity as a catalyst for positive change in their community.

Wednesday august 24, 2022 | FOX RIVER VALLEY LIBRARY, EAST DUNDEE, IL | in-person event | 6:00pm

Dennis Avelar presented The Blue Q and El Quetzal Azul (Spanish edition) at this special event at the Dundee Library of the Fox River Valley Public Library District!

Saturday august 6, 2022 | york high school, elmhurst, IL | back-to-school fair | 10:00am to 2:00pm

Author Dennis Avelar will attend the Back to School Fair to promote The Blue Q / El Quetzal Azul for the start of the school year! 2022-2023 looks to be a promising year for eager young minds, and we can't wait to meet the next generation of students as they find the perfect novel to discuss with their peers.

Saturday june 18, 2022 | Chicago Teacher’s Union Center | in-person event

Dennis Avelar, along with other prominent, independent, Chicago-based authors and storytellers, participated in this one-of-a-kind event!

The 51st Ward Books 1st Annual JustKids Book Festival aimed to:

• Feature local authors and illustrators to offer storytime, art-making, parent and educator workshops and FUN!

• Provide access to carefully curated experiences featuring authors, illustrators, and books for children and youth that prioritize storytelling by and for People of Color, LGBTQIA+ and disabled communities.

• Unite our diverse city through a shared love of books and reading.

Participation in this event was a major accomplishment for us, and we are so grateful to 51st Ward Books for this amazing opportunity. THANK YOU!!

Monday june 27, 2022 | mazatenango cultural center, guatemala | in-person event

Dennis Avelar and El Quetzal Azul (the Spanish edition of The Blue Q) returned to Mazatenango! It was a pleasure to present the novel at an event that will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

saturday july 2, 2022 | FESTIVAL DE LECTORES 30LIBROS | live EVENT | 2:00pm to 5:00pm

For the second stop of the 2022 Blue Q Guatemala Tour, author Dennis Avelar was one of the Guatemalan authors invited to the first ever 30Libros Readers Festival.

Thursday january 27, 2022 | gail borden public library | online presentation

Viewers, fans, and readers were invited to join us for a presentation of the winners of the 2021 "De La Página a la Fama" contest of the Soon to be Famous Illinois Author Project!

Author Dennis Avelar presented and discussed his novel, El Quetzal Azul: El Mundo Desde El Cielo. Author Pascuala Herrera presented her memoir, No Siempre Es Un Valle de Lágrimas.

Watch the recording on Facebook!

Saturday October 16, 2021 | Universidad Mesoamericana | private presentation

Author Dennis Avelar presented and discussed El Quetzal Azul: El Mundo Desde El Cielo for students of the Universidad Mesoamericana in Guatemala. This was an invitation-only, private presentation for students and guests of the university.

Wednesday October 13, 2021 | lincoln elementary school | private presentation

Dennis Avelar was invited as a special guest to present his story, the story behind The Blue Q, and to talk to the 4th grade students of Ms. Vazquez’s class about what it takes to find your passion. This amazing opportunity to talk to young readers in Addison, IL, is particularly exciting because these students have similar stories and - from what we were told - they all love to read!

Saturday september 4, 2021 | Filgua 2021 | online presentation

The novel El Quetzal Azul: El Mundo Desde El Cielo was selected for an international presentation as part of Filgua 2021 (the International Book Fair in Guatemala). Below is the recording of the live presentation.

friday august 13, 2021 | “hablemos de…” series (spanish) | online presentation

It was an honor to be invited to participate in the “Let’s Talk About…” discussion series. The theme for this presentation was “Seeing what others don’t see”, and we had so much to talk about! A special thank you goes out to Jeremy Antonio Menendez Garcia, Gerardo Alfredo Enamorado Castillo, and everyone from Iglesia de Dios Lluvias de Bendición for inviting me to be a part of this series, for giving me the opportunity to talk about how El Quetzal Azul came to be, and how the idea of the novel allowed me to see the world from an entirely new perspective.

Sunday June 20, 2021 | 5:00pm | Bora Bora, Mazatenango, Guatemala

The international premiere of El Quetzal Azul: El Mundo Desde El Cielo in GUATEMALA was a spectacular event! Not only did we introduce the book for the very first time, but we also realized a dream that began over 25 years ago.

If you were unable to make this event, here is the recording by Juan Hernández of Canal 23 tv.

Saturday JUNe 3, 2021 | CENTRO CRISTIANO DIOS DE PACTO CHICAGO | book presentation

The First Presentation

Although the premiere of El Quetzal Azul: El Mundo Desde El Cielo occured in Mazatenango, Guatemala, the very first presentation was actually in Chicago. We would like to thank Apostol Benjamín Vásquez y a Ddp Erika Vasquez for giving us the time and the space to present the book. You can watch the entire presentation of the 2 books presented that evening of the official Facebook page for Centro Cristiano Dios De Pacto Chicago.