What We’re Looking Forward to At the National Book Festival

This post was written by Monica Valentine, a program specialist in the Informal Learning Office at the Library of Congress.

As you may have heard, the 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday, August 24 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center will feature a full day of family fun for young readers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. These activities include the Roadmap to Reading, the Story District, the STEM District, and activities run by Library of Congress specialists—including the Informal Learning Office. At our booth, you can create a portrait of either your favorite author or illustrator, or use your drawings to picture yourself as an author. Past Library of Congress teen interns will share about their internship experiences between speakers on stage and answer questions about what it’s like being a teen intern at the Library of Congress.

While I’m looking forward to seeing families learn more about the Library and our partners through activities, I’m most looking forward to the panels of authors and books. The festival theme “Books Build Us Up” is a nod to the way books and reading can connect people and inform our lives. I can’t wait to see blockbuster authors for children and teens including Christopher Paolini, Peter Brown, Oliver Jeffers, Sam Winston, Tomi Adeyimi, Adam Rubin, Sandra Cisneros… and of course the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Meg Medina.  Here are a few panels I’m looking forward to. Pick a genre that you love and start planning your day!

Picture book lovers, assemble! The following panels caught my eye:

• Award winning collaborators Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston start the day off by sharing A Whirlwind of Words from “The Dictionary Story”. I loved this book, which is an entertaining tale of a dictionary that wants to tell a story by bringing her words to life. Room 209, 9:30 a.m to 10 a.m.
• Where We Can Find Kindness will feature authors Steve Asbell and debut author Stephanie Seales. Asbell’s “Flap Your Hands” explores how neurodivergent kids self-regulate their emotions with repetitive body movements know as “stims”. Seales’s “My Daddy is a Cowboy” follows a young Afro-Latine girl who bonds with her father by horseback riding through her community. Room 209, 10:10 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.
• In The Grown Ups Who Care for Us Meg Medina shares about “No More Senora Mimi”, a celebration of caregivers and community. Room 209, 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon

For middle grade readers:

• Peter Brown will discuss the third installment of his popular series in The “Wild Robot” Series with Peter Brown. Room 204, 12:10 p.m. to 12:40 p.m.
• Former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Leun Yang returns to the National Book Festival with collaborator LeUyan Pham. They will speak about “Lunar New Year Love Story” as they share How to Break a Love Curse. Room 209, 12:10 p.m. to 1:10 p.m.
• In I Built This World, Come Visit! Vera Brosgol and Kazu Kibuishi will discuss Brosgol’s feminist fantasy “Plain Jane and the Mermaid” and “Waverider”, the highly anticipated ninth book in Kibuishi’s Amulet series. Room 209, 4:50 p.m. to 5:20 p.m.

Do you want to hear excerpts from the authors’ works in addition to their panels? If you can’t make seeing your favorite authors speak or want a little more, you can find authors reading excerpts of their work at Story District throughout the day.

YA fans, don’t feel left out—there’s lots for you as well.

• Fantasy fans won’t want to miss My Heritage is My Weapon, a discussion with debut author of “The Last Blood Carver” Vanessa Le and best-selling author Tomi Adeyemi. Hear how they weave their own cultural traditions into their respective works. Room 204, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• Virginia-born author Andrew Joseph White wrote the thriller “Compound Fracture” about a trans autistic teen living in Appalachia. K.A. Cobell is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation and wrote her debut adult thriller “Looking for Smoke” a story of missing and murdered indigenous women on a Blackfeet Reservation. Together, they will present Presumed Guilty. Room 204, 10:50 a.m.- 11:50 a.m.                                           
• Black authors Terry J. Benton-Walker, Desiree S. Evans, and Saraciea J. Fennell stake their claim to YA horror anthologies with a panel discussion that asks Who Dies First? Room 204, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Historical fiction buffs will want to check out Young Coders and Codebreakers in Wartime. In this panel, Monica Hesse will discuss “The Brightwood Code” and Candace Fleming speaking on “Enigma Girls.” These novels feature account of women’s contributions to World War I and II. Room 202, 4:10 p.m. to 5:10 p.m.

Did any of these panels pique your interest? You can plan your day virtually, or access a downloadable schedule. As always, more information including about accessibility can be found on the National Book Festival’s website.

This year’s author and illustrator lineup offers a wide diversity of culture, disability, gender, lived experience, and fun for readers of all ages. Come experience the Library of Congress National Book Festival—and make sure to say hello to the Informal Learning Office and Minerva’s Kaleidoscope staff if you see us in-person. We’re sure the day will inspire you.