New Mexico State Library

National Book Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2019

MEDIA CONTACT
Eli Guinnee
505-476-9762
Eli.Guinnee@state.nm.us

The Storm Runner – National Book Festival

 

 

The New Mexico State Library has chosen The Storm Runner, written by J. C. Cervantes, a Rick Riordan Presents book, published by Disney Hyperion, as the book which will represent New Mexico in the Parade of the States at the 2019 National Book Festival. J.C. Cervantes is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, Tortilla Sun.  Ms. Cervantes lives with her family in New Mexico. When told The Storm Runner would be representing the state of New Mexico at the National Book Festival this year, she said, “That’s wonderful news! Thanks so much!”  

 

The Storm Runner provides readers with an excellent description of New Mexico’s landscape and demonstrates how a youthful imagination can transform those landscapes into a place of wonder and adventure, which many New Mexican’s still do into adulthood.  It is a great coming of age story. Any young reader will be able to relate to the emotional concerns of Zane, the main character, who as he finds his strength, displays those basic human concerns about fitting in, being liked, and finding your path in the world.  The next book in the series, The Fire Keeper, will be released in the fall.

 

The National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, is now in its nineteenth year.  This popular event celebrating the joys of reading and lifelong literacy will be held on Saturday, August 31st in Washington, D.C.  Deanne Dekle, the Youth Services and Outreach Coordinator for public and tribal libraries across the state and Matthew Benbennick, the Reference & ILLiad Librarian at the State Library will represent New Mexico at the Festival.

  

The Parade of the States promotes the reading, library, literary and literacy programs and events in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US trusts and territories.  When people enter the Parade, they pick up a Discover Great Places Through Reading map of the United States which they can take around to each state, trust, and territory to be stamped or stickered.  The map includes a “Great Reads about Great Places” list of books on the back.  Each state selects a work of either fiction or non-fiction about the state or by an author from the state which is a good read for children or young adults who are the primary audience for the Parade of the States.  To see a list of the books chosen by New Mexico in previous years, please see http://www.read.gov/greatreads/. The Parade is always very popular and is a celebration of books and reading throughout the country.

 

The Parade of the States is organized by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and sponsored by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. For more information about the National Book Festival and the Parade of the States, please visit https://www.loc.gov/events/2019-national-book-festival. For more information about the New Mexico State Library, please see http://www.nmstatelibrary.org/ .



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