Best-selling author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, whose book "Shiloh" was selected by West Virginia for the "52 Great Reads" list, signs autographs at the West Virginia table in the Pavilion of the States. On the right, two members of the public hold copies of the pavilion brochure "Discover Great Places Through Reading" that contains the list. Suzy McGinley from the West Virginia State Library is behind Ms. Naylor. - Pat Fisher
For the fifth straight year, the Center for the Book played a key role in the Library's annual National Book Festival. The center develops, coordinates and oversees arrangements for the presentations by the festival's authors, illustrators and poets.
In turn, the National Book Festival helps the center strengthen its mission of stimulating public interest in books, reading, literacy and libraries. The state centers for the book and many of the center's national reading promotion partners are active festival participants. For example, in cooperation with two of its national reading promotion partners — the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities — the center organizes and manages the Pavilion of the States. A third partner, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), has sponsored the Poetry Pavilion since 2003 and once again played a role in the selection and support of this year's participating poets.
The center also was an active participant in the Let's Read America pavilion, which features reading promotion projects sponsored by the festival's corporate contributors.
Left, Kansas Center for the Book coordinator Roy Bird, left, is joined at the Kansas table by young adult author Mike Klaassen, his son Paul Bird, and a volunteer from the Junior League of Washington; right, at the Connecticut table Wendell Minor, who illustrated "Reaching for The Moon," written by astronaut Buzz Aldrin, greets Nelson Billington, grandson of Librarian of Congress James Billington. - Pat Fisher
Authors, Illustrators and Poets
The 2005 National Book Festival featured 82 popular authors, illustrators and poets — the largest assemblage in the festival's history. Participants are nominated and supported by their publishers, with a high priority given to nationally known and award-winning nominees. Individual presentations and book signings are the heart of the National Book Festival experience, as they bring readers together with their favorite writers.
Most of the presentations by authors, illustrators, poets and storytellers at all five National Book Festivals may be seen and heard on the Library's Web site at www.loc.gov/bookfest/. Taken as a whole, these presentations provide a snapshot of contemporary American writers and writing at the beginning of the 21st century.
The Pavilion of the States
At the New York table in the Pavilion of the States, a volunteer from the Junior League of Washington is flanked by New York Center for the Book coordinator Deirdre Stam, left, and Mary Redmond of the New York State Library. - Pat Fisher
Since its debut at the 2002 National Book Festival, the Pavilion of the States has been one of the festival's most popular sites. Here each state has an opportunity to share information about its reading and literacy promotion projects as well as its libraries and literary traditions. The District of Columbia also participates in the festival, along with four U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S.Virgin Islands).
A popular activity, especially among young readers, is a map of the states ("Discover Great Places Through Reading") that can be stamped with interesting state symbols at each table. On the back of the map, a book list titled "52 Great Reads About Great Places" includes one book for young people chosen by each state, the District of Columbia and the territories.
In 2005, seven festival authors and illustrators made scheduled visits to seven different state tables to greet fans and to sign autographs. They were Marcia Mueller (California), Wendell Minor (Connecticut), Laura Lippman (Maryland), Jack Gantos (Massachusetts), Walter Dean Myers (New Jersey), David Baldacci (Virginia) and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (West Virginia). In addition, Jennifer Ericsson, author of Home to Me, Home to You, New Hampshire's selection for the "52 Great Reads" list, visited the New Hampshire table.
A highlight in the Pavilion of the States in 2005 was an information table about Book Relief, a new campaign to place more than 5 million new books in the hands of children and families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Organized by First Book, a nonprofit organization and a reading promotion partner of the Center for the Book, the project will also provide books to needy schools and libraries. The Library of Congress is one of several organizations joining First Book in the Book Relief effort. The table was located adjacent to the state tables from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
In the Let's Read America pavilion, two young readers pose for their photo in Target's Big Red Chair. - Pat Fisher
Let's Read America Pavilion
Target, the National Book Festival's major financial supporter, highlighted the "Letters About Literature" reading and writing program, which it co-sponsors with the Center for the Book.
The six national winners read excerpts from their letters at the festival.
Festival goers enjoyed taking photos of their families and friends in the Target Big Red Chair, the symbol for "Ready. Sit. Read!," a national reading program created by Target with the U.S. Department of Education. Other corporate contributors whose reading and literacy promotion programs were featured in the Let's Read America pavilion were AT&T; Educate Inc.; Half Price Books; PBS; Penguin Group (USA)/Pearson-Jumpstart Partnership; and Scholastic Inc.
