August 11, 2024 National Book Festival Offers Full Day of Activities for Families, Stories for Kids and Young Readers

Children, young readers and families will find a full day of free activities at the 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Washington Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Readers of all ages will find author programs of interest on stages across the festival. Use the schedule tool at loc.gov/bookfest to find programs by stage, event type and genre – or search by author name. The 2024 festival features more than 90 authors and illustrators.

Young adult readers will enjoy hearing about fantasy stories from Tomi Adeyemi and Vanessa Le, thrillers with K.A. Cobell and Andrew Joseph White, romance in YA fiction with Hayley Dennings and Marie Lu, and graphic novel romance from Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham. If poetry unlocks your imagination, check out YA novels in verse with Safia Elhillo and Tony Keith Jr. Or hear about stories from history with Candace Fleming and Monica Hesse.

For children, don’t miss the debut of actor Max Greenfield’s third picture book “Good Night Thoughts” in a conversation on the Main Stage. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Meg Medina will discuss her new picture book, “No More Señora Mimí.” And the festival will feature new picture books by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston, Adam Rubin and Liniers, Steve Asbell, and Stephanie Seales,.

Explore a wide variety of activities and programs for families and attendees of all ages on the Expo Floor in Hall DE (Level 2, North Building) of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center throughout the day.

Make, Learn and Create with the Library of Congress
(Hall DE)

Library of Congress specialists will offer visitors a wide range of interactive, kid and family-friendly activities that emphasize building skills and showcase the Library’s rich resources. Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Unleash your creativity by creating your own zine or comic book.
• Design your own family trees and crests while learning about genealogical research.
• Create art while learning about Braille with our coloring activity.
• Learn how to analyze and interpret primary sources.
• Discover how we preserve valuable items for future generations.
• Enjoy trivia, matching games and other activities that teach about history and books.
• Try your hand at transcribing historical documents from the Library’s collections.
• Experience the challenge of curating your own collection of books and materials.
• Get a close-up look at facsimiles from our extensive collections.
• Explore historical children’s literature.
• See if you can decipher historical handwriting.
• Learn about internship and fellowship opportunities at the Library.

Follow the Roadmap to Reading

(Hall DE)

Take a literary trip across the country by visiting the Roadmap to Reading, sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Roadmap to Reading will feature tables with representatives from 54 Centers for the Book: one for each state as well as tables for the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Marianas.

Every year, each Center for the Book selects a children’s book and one for a general adult audience, creating a list of books called Great Reads from Great Places. Pick up a Great Reads from Great Places brochure and visit each table in the Roadmap to Reading to explore each state’s great reads and receive a unique stamp; those who collect all of the stamps can receive a special giveaway at the IMLS booth.

The Story District, sponsored by CoStar Group
(Hall DE)

Storytelling comes alive at the Story District! Washington, D.C.-area literacy nonprofits join together to celebrate authors, illustrators and stories. This fun and dynamic area in Hall DE features activities for kids and families, including story times by many authors featured at this year’s Festival.

See the full schedule of story times here.

Featured nonprofit organizations include:

• First Book.
• An Open Book Foundation.
• Reading Partners.
• Virginia Children’s Book Festival.
• We Need Diverse Books.

Explore the new STEM District, sponsored by General Motors
(Hall DE)

Join us for the debut of the National Book Festival STEM District. Designed to spark a passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, this dynamic area blends STEM with literary activities and storytelling. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., enjoy talks by children’s and young adult authors, hands-on activities, experiments and engaging presentations. The STEM District stage will feature a full day of programming, including exciting demonstrations by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

See the full schedule here. 

Throughout the day, attendees can also engage in interactive activities hosted by STEM experts and organizations. Learn about the role of pollinators and the impact of light pollution. Enhance your engineering and coding skills with hands-on challenges. Explore the tiny worlds of cells. Develop your abilities to become a creator and author.

Featured STEM District organizations include:

• Black Girls Code.
• Boolean Girl.
• Children’s Science Center Lab.
• DarkSky International NOVA and Washington, D.C.
• National Children’s Museum.
• STEM for Her.
• Sustainability Matters.
• University of Maryland Language Science Center.
• Youth Climate Institute.

Library of Congress Pavilion and Activities
(Hall DE)

Visit the Library of Congress Pavilion to hear from Library experts about the fascinating inner workings, collections and innovative programs of the Library. Experts will share insights from recent research and archival discoveries that showcase our nation’s rich musical and artistic heritage, shed light on major legal decisions like Brown v. Board of Education and explore our extensive cookbook collections. Additional talks will guide you on accessing the Library’s vast resources, from historic newspapers to the world’s largest map collection, and provide tips on genealogical research. You’ll also discover how to volunteer to help transcribe Library collections for greater public access.

Two special programs will feature an interview with Laci Jordan, the 2024 National Book Festival poster artist, and a behind-the-scenes look at the Library’s new Treasures Gallery exhibition. See the full schedule here.

Sponsors & Exhibitors Activities
(Hall DE)

Ello
Stop by the Ello booth for a fun drawing challenge, free books and a chance to meet everyone's favorite reading buddy, Ello!

Highlights Magazine
Stop by the Highlights booth and play our Book Festival Scavenger Hunt! Pick up a game card, find all the objects, and return your card for a prize. Highlights will also give out free magazines and coloring sheet puzzles.

Mathnasium
Dive into a world of exciting games, engaging STEM activities, and awesome giveaways for both kids and teachers. And guess what? Ace, the Mathnasium mascot, can't wait to meet you! There will be a variety of activities including a craft-your-own paper airplane and test how far it can soar. Fun, friends, and fantastic prizes await. Don’t miss out!

National Center for Improving Literacy at Boston University
Vocab Vault: Unlocking the Power of Words

Join us for a dynamic meet-up designed to elevate your vocabulary teaching strategies! In "Vocab Vault," we'll explore innovative and effective methods to enrich children’s word knowledge, ensuring they become confident and proficient communicators and readers. Discover engaging activities, practical tools and collaborative techniques that can be seamlessly integrated into your classroom or at home. This meet-up will provide actionable tips to make vocabulary learning fun and impactful. Let's unlock the power of words together! 

Scholastic
The Scholastic booth will have a fun family photo booth, giveaways, and visits from your favorite characters.

The National Book Festival is made possible by the generous support of private- and public-sector sponsors who share the Library’s commitment to reading and literacy, led by National Book Festival Co-Chair David M. Rubenstein. Sponsors include: General Motors, James Madison Council, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, CoStar Group, the John W. Kluge Center, AARP, Friends of the Library of Congress, Diane and Tim Naughton, the Library of Congress Federal Credit Union, The Hay-Adams, and the Junior League of Washington.

Presenting Partners include NPR and C-SPAN’s Book TV, which will televise select events and interview featured authors. Media Partners also include The Washington Post, the Washington Nationals and El Tiempo Latino.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.