WASHINGTON — The Library of Congress is hosting the 2024 National Book Festival this Saturday at the Washington Convention Center.
Readers of all ages are invited from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to enjoy family-friendly activities and author programs, featuring more than 90 authors and illustrators.
Some of the authors making an appearance will include Rebecca Yarros (Fourth Wing), Abby Jimenez (Just for the Summer), Tomi Adeyemi (author of Children Blood and Bone), Hayley Dennings (author of This Ravenous Fate), cartoonist Gene Luen Yang, and Safia Elhillo (author of The January Children).
Actor Max Greenfield will also debut his third picture book, “Good Night Thoughts” and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Meg Medina, will discuss her new picture book.
Here are a few family-friendly activities and events for book lovers alike. Find a full list of activities and events here
Make, Learn, and Create with the Library of Congress
- These interactive, family-friendly activities bring education and creativity together. Some of these activities include creating your own comic book, trivia and matching games that teach about history and books, designing your own family trees, learning about transcribing historical documents, and creating art while learning about Braille.
Follow the Roadmap to Reading
- This event will feature tables with representatives from 54 Centers for the Book, who select a children’s book and an adult book each year to create an annual list of books. Explore each state’s reads and receive a unique stamp and those who collect all the stamps can enter a special giveaway.
The Story District
- This area features activities including story times from featured authors, hosted by D.C. nonprofits.
STEM District
- This event blends STEM with storytelling by hosting talks by children’s and young adult authors, hands-on activities, experiments, and a demonstration by the National Science Foundation. You can also participate in interactive activities with STEM experts and organizations to learn about everything from pollinators to coding.
Library of Congress Pavilion and Activities
- Hear from library experts about recent research, archival discoveries like musical heritage and cookbook collections, and guides on how to access the library’s resources. Two programs will feature an interview with the artist of the 2024 National Book Festival poster, Laci Jordan, and a behind-the-scenes look at the new Treasures Gallery exhibition.