The 12th Annual National Book Festival sponsored by the Library of Congress will be held next weekend, September 22-23, 2012 on the National Mall. This is a great opportunity for your kids to meet their favorite author and get excited about reading.

To get a copy of this great poster email bookfest@loc.gov with your name and address.

This year the National Book Festival will host over 100 authors. Various pavilions will focus on different topics ranging from Fiction & Mystery, History & Biography, Children & Teens, Poetry, Home & Family, Urban Fiction and Graphic Novels. Click here for a complete list of authors and don’t forget to check out the Target Family Story Telling Stage and the Let’s Read America pavilion sponsored by PBS Kids and Lego Duplo.

Various authors will read from their books throughout the weekend. Click here for a schedule so you can plan your trip around hearing your favorite author and having your favorite book signed. You may purchase books at the festival or bring your own book to be signed. At our house we are especially excited about meeting Mary Pope Osborne, author of “The Magic Treehouse,” and Marc Brown, author of “Arthur.”

National Book Festival hours are Saturday from 10:00 am – 5:30 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon – 5:30 pm. The festival will be held on the National Mall (home to the Smithsonian Museums) between 9th Street and 14th Street, NW. The National Mall will be especially busy and parking will be tough. The best thing to do is take the metro to the Smithsonian stop.

It’s a big festival so download the map here to help you navigate among all of the different tents and look for a volunteer who can also help you find your way around. One of the great hands-on sponsors of the event is the Junior League of Washington who will provide over 550 volunteers, for the 11th consecutive year. Keep an eye out for one of these ladies in the bright pink shirts if you need some help.

Need a bite to eat while you’re there? Most Smithsonian Museums have cafeterias, click here for a list. Or visit the Kids Will Travel restaurants page for suggestions on spots in Penn Quarter and Chinatown. It’s a short walk from the mall and there are lots of kid friendly options. And finally check out our blog from last week for more tips on eating out in DC with kids.

So who are you and your kids excited about meeting at this year’s National Book Festival?

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