Girls reading togetherMy mother encouraged my sisters and me, starting when we were very young, to be interested in books. I was a huge reader and I loved going to the public library. I am convinced that this early love of reading fostered an overall excitement and interest in learning, and paved the way for me to excel at school.

When it came to reading, my mom instinctively knew that if she wanted us to be good readers, she would have to be a good role model for us. Kids will never believe reading is fun if they don’t see parents and other siblings reading; if they don’t take trips to a library or bookstore; and if they don’t see lots of books around the house. My mom made sure we had that kind of exposure to books.

Every year the Library of Congress sponsors the National Book Festival. The 2010 festival will be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, September 25 from 10 am to 5:30 pm. The festival is a celebration of the joy of reading for all ages. It is free and open to the public.

The festival is an opportunity for visitors to meet and ask questions from some of the nation’s best authors and illustrators. Here is the Listof Authors for this year’s festival. In addition to hearing your favorite author discuss his or her work, you can get your books signed by the author!

In order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Book Festival, Borders partnered with the Library of Congress by sponsoring a bookmark design contest to encourage children across the country to submit designs that demonstrated their love of reading. Here are the state winners.

My favorite author is Ray Bradbury. Who is your favorite author? What things do you do to encourage an interest in reading books in your children?

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