No Willpower at the DC Book Fest

A few weeks ago, I attended the National Book Festival in Washington DC. Only intending to purchase a few used books, I was not so pleasantly surprised when I realized this book festival did not have a used book area. What they did have was an entire area devoted to the books of the authors that were speaking that day, all run by Politics and Prose. That meant of course, I needed to at least peruse the bookshop area.

And then since I have absolutely zero will power, it meant that I needed to buy an entire tote bag (Book-themed naturally...) full of very different books than I usually purchase. Since that time, I've read all but 2 of the books, and have varying degrees of feelings for each.

I'll be honest, I purchased Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus specifically because I liked the title. But the story of a young girl who lives a fabulous life with her family, and just so happens to not have any arms, is a story of differences and how people can still live a good life in the face of adversity. As the main character's friend has Tourette's, it's also a great way to introduce young adults to this condition. It's just so fabulous!

On the other hand, I went to the festival specifically to buy Less and hear the author speak. And I've decided while I love the plot line, the book itself is not my cup of tea. A book that was billed as the hilarious story of a writer who chooses to embark on an around the world trip, to get out of going to an ex's wedding, is actually quite a downer. 

Towers Falling is a young adult story that tries to explain what happened in New York on September 11. We're now seeing a generation of children and young adults that weren't born yet in 2001. Just as my generation learned about the attack on Pearl Harbor, this new generation needs to hear about and learn from the attacks of September 11. The way the plot plays out is a bit harsh, but it's an important story that helps to explain why learning about these events is important.

I have this love for Children's books. And when I see new, creative books with a good message for kids, I can't help myself. Each of the 3 I purchased were very different, but each had its own lovely story to tell.

Interrupting Chicken is a perfectly fun bedtime story for any kid. It tells the story of a little chicken who can't help himself and must interrupt his dad whenever he's reading him a story. So fun!

Turning Pages is the children's version of Justice Sonia Sotomayor's autobiography. The message here is if you work hard, and have big dreams, you can do just about anything. Sotomayor's words are beautiful and her story is perfectly inspiring for girls and boys.

The Day you Begin should be read in every single school on the first day. The message of what makes you different, makes you special is so needed. The faster kids can accept these little differences, the quicker they can become who they're meant to be. I LOVED it!