South Dakota Stories Featured at National Book Festival
August 17, 2024
The South DakotaCenter for the Book has selected one adult title and one youth title to represent the state at the 2024 Library of Congress National Book Festival, August 24 in Washington, D.C.
This year’s “Great Reads from Great Places” selections are Little and Often by Trent Preszler and Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills, written by Billy Mills and Donna Janell Bowman and illustrated by S.D. Nelson.
Both titles will be featured at the South Dakota booth in the Roadmap to Reading area hosted by the National Center for the Book. This area features authors and books representing the literary heritage of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Marianas.
“We are excited to share these wonderful books with readers of all ages across the nation,” said Jennifer Widman, director of the South Dakota Center for the Book at the South Dakota Humanities Council. “These two stories, told by South Dakotans and taking place in our state, provide great insight into the values, cultures, and landscapes that have shaped our literary heritage.”
The National Book Festival will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, August 12 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For those unable to attend in person, several programs will be livestreamed, and recordings of all presentations will be uploaded later. Visit the National Book Festival website for details about these virtual options.
Throughout the next year, readers who want to explore the selections from South Dakota and other states can take part in the Western II Region Centers for the Book READsquared Challenge, created in partnership with the South Dakota State library. Participants will earn badges as they explore the culture and heritage of the Western II Region states: Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
The authors and illustrator representing South Dakota will appear in person at the 2024 South Dakota Festival of Books in Brookings, Sept. 20-22.
About South Dakota’s Selections
FOR ADULTS: Little and Often, a memoir by Trent Preszler, was also chosen as the 2024 One Book South Dakota. It focuses on a single year during which Preszler mourns the death of his estranged father by using inherited tools to build a wooden canoe. In the process, he comes to better understand his father – a cattle rancher, rodeo champion, and Vietnam War Bronze Star Medal recipient – and himself.
FOR YOUTH: Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills is the autobiographical tale of Lakota Olympian Billy Mills, who overcame poverty, racism, and health challenges to win the gold medal in the men’s 10,000-meter race at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of his stunning come-from-behind win, Mills teamed up with co-author Donna Janell Bowman and Lakota illustrator S.D. Nelson to create an inspiring children’s book, infused with the lessons of his Indigenous ancestors who stood strong when the odds were against them.
About the South Dakota Center for the Book
The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is a community of 56 Affiliated Centers promoting reading, libraries, and literacy. The South Dakota Center for the Book is one of those affiliates, pursing a mission “to celebrate the written word in South Dakota, extol the rich heritage of the state, and encourage authorship, literacy and reading.”
About the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.
The National Book Festival Roadmap to Reading is made possible by the generous support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional funding from Chief Officers of State Library Agencies.
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