A BOOK FESTIVAL WITH KIDS IN MIND
The Literary Hill BookFest
Sunday, May 15th
North Hall of Eastern Market
North Carolina & 7th Street, SE,
Washington, DC.
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Free admission
Purpose: to celebrate books & the authors of Capitol Hill.
The event will feature dozens of local authors discussing and signing their books; talks by well-known writers; a children’s story-time corner; book sales.
The BookFest is inspired by the monthly column in the Hill Rag, The Literary Hill, written by Hill resident Karen Lyon – and will mark Karen’s ten years of highlighting the diverse writing talent to be found among those who call Capitol Hill home.
The children’s writers – who will be doing readings from their books – are: Katy Kelly, Erica Perl, Cathy Travis and Selene Benitone.
Katy has written six books for young readers, including Lucy Rose: Here’s the Thing About Me, Lucy Rose: Big On Plans, Lucy Rose: Busy Like You Can’t Believe, Lucy Rose: Working Myself to Pieces & Bits, Melonhead, and Melonhead and the Big Stink. Katy’s books are set on Capitol Hill.
Erica is the author of Chicken Butt!, Chicken Bedtime is Really Early, When Life Gives you O.J., Ninety-three in My Family, which has been called a “comic masterpiece” and her newest book, Dotty, about a little girl and her imaginary friend. She has also written a book for young adults called Vintage Veronica.
Cathy is a 25-year Capitol Hill and political veteran whose Constitution Translated for Kids won a 2009 “Best Books” award and a 2010 “Mom’s Choice” Award for the bilingual/Spanish version. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor called the book, “A wonderful learning tool for children of both languages.”
Selene is the author of Mommy Without Hair? My World Turned Upside Down, a book for children and their families coping with the trauma of cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The BookFest will also feature Marguerite Kelly (mother of Katy), who has written the nationally syndicated column The Family Almanac in the Washington Post since 1979. She is author of The Mother’s Almanac (1975), still billed by Doubleday as “the most complete book ever written about loving and living with small children.” Other titles include The Mother’s Almanac Goes to School (1989) and Marguerite Kelly’s Family Almanac (1994). She is currently working on Where Do We Go From Here?, a book to help parents identify and correct behavioral problems.
The venue for the BookFest, Eastern Market, is the historic heart of the residential community of Capitol Hill. Just a few blocks from the US Capitol and the Library of Congress, it makes – with its wide array of cafes and restaurants – a great family outing destination. Shops aimed at the young, within an easy stroll of the BookFest, include: Fairy Godmother, toys and books; Labyrinth, games, puzzles and board-games; Groovy, toys, games and novelty items. There’s also, Dawn Price Baby, an upmarket boutique and Monkey’s Uncle, which specializes in recycled kid’s gear.
Find out more at www.literaryhillbookfest.org or contact co-organizers: Karen Lyon & Maggie Hall at Karen: [email protected] Maggie: [email protected]
