- Michaela McNichol David M. KennedyDavid Kennedy, who edited and wrote the introduction to “The Library of Congress World War II Companion,” put the war into a global perspective. Lacking in manpower at the start of the war, “The United States decided to fight with American money, American machines and Russian men,” said Kennedy. |
- Kristina Nixon James L. SwansonJames L. Swanson dispels a number of myths in his new book, “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer.” He concludes that John Wilkes Booth was guilty and should not be romanticized. “He was a racist and a murderer, and he killed our best president,” Swanson told the audience. |
- Doug Barber Michael B. OrenAccording to Michael B. Oren, three underlying themes surface when examining U.S. involvement in the Middle East over the past 230 years: power, faith and fantasy – the title of his new book. Oren said that 19th-century Protestant missionaries spread “the gospel of Americanism,” liberty, human rights and democracy. |
- Doug Barber Meryle SecrestMeryle Secrest entertains the audience with tales of her experiences and adventures in writing nine biographies. Speaking about her memoir, titled “Shoot the Widow,” she explained, |
- Barry Wheeler David WiesnerThree-time Caldecott award-winner David Wiesner discusses his wordless picture book “Flotsam,” the latest prizewinner. The book began with a word from a phrase that always fascinated Wiesner — ”flotsam and jetsam,” meaning ocean debris. In Wiesner’s book, a camera discarded at sea yields photographs from bygone eras. |
- Michaela McNichol Rosemary WellsRosemary Wells, author of the bunny sibling series “Max and Ruby” and founder of the literacy program “Read to Your Bunny,” urges parents to read daily to their children. “Do it every day, on weekends, holidays, when your mother-in-law comes to visit, when you get a serious diagnosis from the doctor.” |
- Michaela McNichol Patricia MacLachlanPatricia MacLachlan discusses her popular book “Sarah, Plain and Tall” and the process of turning it into a television movie starring Glenn Close. Proud of the fact that children relate to her stories—not all of which have a stereotypical happy ending—she explained, “Families are different and mothers don’t always come home.” |
- Nancy Alfaro Maria Celeste ArrarásWell-known for her role as host of Telemundo’s “Al Rojo Vivo,” Maria Celeste Arrarás transports her audience into a magical world by reading from her first children’s book, “The Magic Cane.” The book has also been published in Spanish as “El baston magico.” |
- Michaela McNichol Doro Bush KochDoro Bush Koch, sister of the current U.S. president and daughter of former president George H.W. Bush, discusses her new book “My Father, My President.” Koch interviewed all living former U.S. presidents and other world leaders to find the “missing pieces”. |
- Nancy Alfaro Dr. Sanjay GuptaDr. Sanjay Gupta presents |
- Doug Barber Judith MartinJudith Martin—a.k.a. Miss Manners—speaks not about etiquette but Venice in her new book “No Vulgar Hotel/The Desire and Pursuit of Venice.” She says that historic Venice was a republic that engaged in global commerce; its laborers got health care and pensions and were avid consumers. “How can we not love them? They’re just like us!” |
- Doug Barber Steven RaichlenBarbecue king Steven Raichlen charts the history of grilling meat. “Three hundred million years ago, man cooked his own dinner. This was a new phenomenon—roasted meat. Talk about the first, greatest ‘Aha’ moment,” said Raichlen. He cited the appearance of this culinary pastime in great works of literature. |
- Nancy Alfaro Jody PicoultJody Picoult explains the evolution of her writing career to a packed crowd. From essays titled “What I did on my summer vacation,” the themes of Picoult’s novels have grown darker. She takes on bullying and teen violence in “Nineteen Minutes,” which she researched at Columbine High School. |
- Kristina Nixon Terry PratchettTerry Pratchett displays his wit and wisdom about the writing process. “It’s all smoke and mirrors. But I have to say very good mirrors and often some quite classy smoke. I think about it very hard for a very long time and stuff seems to sort of turn up,” said the former journalist. |
- Barry Wheeler Carolyn HartCarolyn Hart discusses writing and reading mysteries—having produced 39 works in this genre. Complimenting the audience, she said “as readers of mysteries, you believe in a just world … you believe in goodness. When we pick up a mystery, we know that justice will be served.” |
- Nancy Alfaro Stephen L. CarterYale law professor Stephen Carter explains why many lawyers write mysteries and thrillers—they are trained to think about all the things that can go wrong. In “New England White,” he “looks at what would happen if we take a family that looks like they’re living a perfect life and put them into difficult situations.” |
- Nancy Alfaro N. Scott MomadayNative American poet N. Scott Momaday reads “The Great Fillmore Street Buffalo Drive.” The poem takes the listener back in time from the present corner of Broadway and Fillmore in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights to the past, when only the buffalo roamed there. |
- Nancy Alfaro Francisco HernándezFrancisco Hernández, who was born in Veracruz, Mexico, reads his poems in Spanish while Jorge Hernandez translates them into English. “The poet doesn’t rest. Time wears him down to prove it exists.” |
- Nancy Alfaro Jack PrelutskyJack Prelutsky, recently named the nation’s first Children’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation, describes the origin of his poems that combine words for animals, food and utensils. Bananaconda was the first one that came to him one day in the kitchen, followed by sharkradish, clocktopus and spatuloon. |
- Doug Barber Kevin YoungKevin Young reads a new poem that is stored on his cell phone. The upbeat poet quipped, “The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing and sweat.” But he also read several mourning poems in memory of a friend killed in Kenya. |
Children
Sponsored by AT&T
- Megan McDonald
- Jacqueline Wilson
- Maria Celeste Arrarás
- Rosemary Wells
- NBA/WNBA Literacy Program
- Ashley Bryan and Jan Spivey Gilchrist
- Judy Schachner
- David Wiesner
- Carmen Agra Deedy
- Mercer Mayer
Teens & Children
Sponsored by Target
- Patricia MacLachlan
- Jennifer L. Holm
- Letters About Literature
- Gail Carson Levine
- Cynthia Leitich Smith
- Shelia P. Moses
- Holly Black
- Gene Luen Yang
- Patricia McCormick
- M. T. Anderson
Fiction & Fantasy
Sponsored by The James Madison Council
- Susan Vreeland
- Jeff Shaara
- Lalita Tademy
- Terry Pratchett
- Edward P. Jones
- Joyce Carol Oates
- Harry Turtledove
- Sena Jeter Naslund
- Thomas Mallon
- Jodi Picoult
Mysteries & Thrillers
Sponsored by The Amend Group
- Stephen Hunter
- Deborah Crombie
- Brian Haig
- Lisa Scottoline
- Stephen L. Carter
- Carolyn Hart
- David Ignatius
- Daniel Silva
- J. A. Jance
- David Baldacci
History & Biography
Sponsored by AARP
- Jan Crawford Greenburg
- Arnold Rampersad
- Meryle Secrest
- Douglas L. Wilson
- James Swanson
- Elizabeth Drew
- Michael Beschloss
- Michael B. Oren
- Diane Ackerman
- David M. Kennedy
- Ken Burns & Geoffrey Ward
Home & Family
Sponsored by Target
- Victoria Rowell
- Patricia Schultz
- Judith Martin
- Dr. Sanjay Gupta
- Nancy Pearl
- Steven Raichlen
- Cat Cora
- Ann Amernick
- Joan Nathan
- Martha Raddatz
- Doro Bush Koch
Poetry
Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts
- Kevin Prufer
- Diane Thiel
- Poetry Out Loud
- Charles Simic, U.S. Poet Laureate
- Jack Prelutsky
- Francisco Hernández
- N. Scott Momaday
- Jon Stallworthy
- Kevin Young
Sponsors of the 2007 National Book Festival
Distinguished
Benefactor
Target
Charter Sponsors
AT&T
The Amend Group
The Washington Post
Patrons
AARP
Institute of Museum
and Library Services
The James Madison
Council
National Endowment for the Arts
Contributors
Barnes & Noble
Library of Congress
Federal Credit Union
Marshall and
Dee Ann Payne
NBA/WNBA
PBS
Penguin Group (USA)
Scholastic Inc.
US Airways
Friends
National Endowment
for the Humanities
Special Thanks
The Junior League of Washington who provided hundreds of volunteers to support the National Book Festival and the promotion of reading and literacy.
