I spoke to a book friend from San Francisco this past week, who mentioned that she’d gone to Roadworks, the annual Fall fund raiser and print making event at the SF Center for the Book. A few days later while unpacking yet another box I found a bookmark — moving & remodeling has meant a constant shift of boxes from one room to another, or one side of the hall to another, as we slowly finish off the various rooms. It’s always gratifying to empty a box and put its contents away, collapse the box and put it in the recycling pile! But back to my story — I think the bookmark was from a Roadworks several years ago where my friend Cathy provided book-ish activities for kids. At this one, she had them design bookmarks. Mine has a jaunty ballerina all in pink, pirouetting. I pinned her to the cork board behind my computer. That very day I saw a mention somewhere for the National Book Festival — “a celebration of the joy of reading for all ages” that took place on the Mall in Washington DC on Sept 25. I checked out their website and was immediately drawn to the Borders Bookmark Contest where children across the country designed bookmarks to convey their love of reading. The one to the left is by Arya, Grade 2, NJ. You can see the winners from each state here. There are also podcasts of the speakers at the event on the Mall — ranging from author Isabel Allende to poet Rae Armantrout.