Save the Date! NCBLA at the National Book Festival, Sunday, September 22, 2013

The National Children’s Book and
Literacy Alliance
to Present READERS THEATER
Featuring
National Ambassadors for
Young People's Literature Emeritus

Katherine Paterson and Jon Scieszka

and Award-Winning Authors

Susan Cooper and Grace Lin

at Library of Congress National Book Festival 

The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance, in conjunction with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, is thrilled to be presenting a Children's "Literary Lights" Readers Theater presentation at this year’s National Book Festival. The "Literary Lights" presenters will include two former National Ambassadors for Young People's Literature--Katherine Paterson and Jon Scieszka--as well as award-winning authors Susan Cooper and Grace Lin. Readers Theater is a dramatic presentation of a written work in script form, similar to a radio play. The Readers Theater presentation will include readings from all four participating authors' books.

Katherine Paterson is a former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, an honor co-sponsored by the Library of Congress Center for the Book and the Children’s Book Council. Her international fame rests not only on her widely acclaimed novels but also on her efforts to promote literacy in the United States and abroad. A two-time winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award, she has received many other accolades for her body of work, including the Astrid Lindgren Award for Lifetime Achievement. She is also a vice president of the board of directors of the NCBLA. Her new book is Giving Thanks (Chronicle Books), featuring Pamela Dalton’s exquisite cut-paper illustrations. Learn more about Paterson and her books on her website.

Jon Scieszka was the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, a program sponsored by the Library of Congress Center for the Book and the Children’s Book Council. His zany, somewhat subversive sense of humor is evident in such best-sellers as The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. He also has a book series and website that encourages boys to read more called Guys Read. Scieszka’s new book is Guys Read: Other Worlds (HarperCollins). Learn more about Sieszka and his books on his website.

Susan Cooper is the author of the classic five-book series The Dark Is Rising, which won a Newbery Medal, a Newbery Honor Award and two Carnegie Honor Awards. Cooper has also received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association for a “significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.” Born in England, Cooper was a reporter and feature writer for the London Sunday Times before coming to live in the United States. Her writing includes books for children and adults, a Broadway play, films and Emmy-nominated screenplays. Ghost Hawk (Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster) is her latest novel. She is a member of the board of directors of the NCBLA. Learn more about Cooper and her books on her website.

In 2010 Grace Lin won a Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, an Asian-inspired fantasy that some people compare to The Wizard of Oz. Many of Lin’s books feature members of her family. “My mother and I were star characters in my first book,” says Lin. That book was “The Ugly Vegetables.” In addition to writing her books, Lin also illustrates them. She is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. Her new book is Ling & Ting Share a Birthday (Little, Brown). Learn more about Lin on her website.

About the National Book Festival

The 13^th annual National Book Festival will be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22. The NCBLA's Readers Theater presentation is scheduled for Sunday, September 22nd. The National Book Festival is free and open to the public. 

Each year the National Book Festival features authors, poets, and illustrators in several pavilions. This year two pavilions are dedicated to authors and illustrators who write and illustrate books for children and teens.  The festival is a family friendly event, providing an opportunity for readers of all ages to meet and hear firsthand from their favorite authors and illustrators, get books signed, hear special entertainment, and have photos taken with storybook characters. Learn more at the official website:  loc.gov/bookfest

About the NCBLA at the National Book Festival

The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance has been captivating audiences of all ages with author presentations at the National Book Festival since the festival’s inception. At the 2011 National Book Festival, the NCBLA presented a dramatic reading of its national reading and writing outreach project The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, which featured nine of America’s most gifted authors and illustrators on stage: National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Emeritus Katherine Paterson, Mary Brigid Barrett, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Jack Gantos, Gregory Maguire, Fredrick McKissack, Patricia McKissack, and Chris Van Dusen. Watch the NCBLA’s 2011 National Book Festival presentation here.