Richards Free Library Blog

I had the honor this past weekend to work the New Hampshire Booth at the National Book Festival.  The New Hampshire Center for the Book set up  the booth in the Pavilion of the States.  Thousands of children travel to each state booth with a map which is stamped by a booth worker.  New Hampshire's stamp sports the Great Stone Face reading a book.   We also handed out thousands of puzzle pages and hundreds of pencils, New Hampshire tourism books and state road maps. Each booth also features a children's book by an author of that state.  This year New Hampshire featured a biography of a Newport's native, To My Countrywomen:  The Life of Sarah Josepha Hale written by Muriel Dubois and illustrated by Linda Greenleaf.

The booth workers get a chance to take a break by wandering into one of the other pavilions to listen to some of the most amazing authors writing today.  New Hampshire writers there were Jodi Piccoult, John Irving, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan.  It was a wonderful opportunity.

This weekend local residents have the opportunity to hear another amazing speaker and writer when Henry Louis Gates, Jr.  comes to Newport to receive the 2009 Sarah Josepha Hale Award on October 3rd at 8:00 at the Newport Opera House.  I hope to see you there.