By Alison R., Teen Portal Staff Writer
Book lovers: Listen up! There are loads of nearby book-related events happening this fall tailored to the interests (and piggy banks) of teens. Starting next week, the days will be packed with festivals, book sales and more! So grab a friend and dive into the world of books – all open for free!
Banned Books Week: September 26th to October 3rd. Though not an event per se, this annual tradition was created by the American Library Association in 1982 to remind all Americans that their “Freedom to Read” should not be taken for granted. Every year hundreds of libraries in the U.S. remove books from their collections based on challenges by parents and others who believe that their content is not appropriate for anyone accessing the collection. You can participate simply by reading books that have been challenged and banned. Also check out this “Banned Books Manifesto” poem by Ellen Hopkins.
Fall for the Book: Monday, September 14th to Wednesday the 30th, on the George Mason University Fairfax campus and in other locations throughout the greater DC area, event times varying by day. Hosted by GMU in partnership with the City of Fairfax, this year with more than a hundred author participants and 140 events, including previews, exhibits, talks, movie screenings and readings. Of special interests to teens will be “Bienvenida Latina,” “Poetry-On-Demand,” “Open Mic with Poet Ellen Posner,” “Falling for the Story: K-12 Readers,” “Poetry Slam with Georgia ME” and several presentations by young adult authors, used book sales and paperback swaps, where you can exchange your old books for new ones free of charge.
National Book Festival: Saturday, September 26th, on the National Mall, from 10 AM to 5 PM. This yearly event, put together by the Library of Congress, celebrates the joy of reading and this year features nine pavilions and over 80 authors and Poetry Out Loud winners. Of special interest to teens will be the Children, Teens & Children, Fiction & Fantasy and Poetry & Prose pavilions, featuring Jacqueline Woodson, Jodi Picoult, Julia Álvarez, Rick Riordan, Holly Black, Shannon Hale, Lois Lowry and many, many more. In addition to most of these and other authors signing books, webcasts of their presentations will be available later online and, of course, the Book Sales Pavilion will be offering selected books by all the Festival’s authors.
Arlington Public Library Book Sale: Thursday, October 22nd to Sunday the 25th, at the Central Library, hours varying by day. On Thursday the sale will only be open to members of Friends of the Arlington Public Library. Remember: the more books you donate, the greater their selection will be!
New Releases
City of Glass: The third book in Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments Trilogy.
Bait: Another book by Alex Sánchez, known for his novels about teen guys.
Tricks: A novel by Ellen Hopkins about five teens trying to find out “what sex and love are all about.”
Sent: The second book in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s new Missing series (Claim to Fame, also by her, is due November 10).
Catching Fire: The second book in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.
