Day of the Book Features Family Fun

Kensington's Day of the Book festival is not the sort of stuffy literary event that only rare-book lovers will appreciate. Festival organizer Elisenda Sola-Sole, who owns , says that the sixth annual event is intended for the entire family with as much for children to enjoy as adults. Here's a sampling of the kids' activities scheduled for the fest, Sunday, April 17 in Old Town.

Children's Authors: There are at least nine children's authors (most of them local writers) attending , and nearly all of them will have special activities or readings at their booths. For example, Irene Zevgolis-Christian, author of "The Dreamer & The Moon" will offer coloring pages and raffle out one of her books every hour, and writer-illustrator K. Michael Crawford will demonstrate how to draw a cartoon character at 1 p.m.

Young Bards: The Twinbrook Tellers, a group of young storytellers (ages 5-14) that meets monthly to practice the art of storytelling, will recite diverse folk and fairy tales beginning at 1:30 p.m. Children who catch the folklorist bug can find out how to join the Storytellers Club, which is run by award-winning Gaithersburg librarian and poet, Eve Burton.

Scavenger Hunt: For the first time at the festival, kids can participate in a literary scavenger hunt designed to keep children engaged at the various booths. Children of all ages will be given clues and tasks to follow, like making a bookmark at the First Book table, getting a secret code, or finding a particular author. Everyone who finishes the hunt will receive a prize.

Susie The Dog: Young pet lovers can meet Greensboro, North Carolina author Donna Lawrence and her famous dog Susie, the shepherd-pit-bull mix whose inspiring story of survival led not only to Lawrence's memoir, "Susie's Hope," but to a North Carolina anti-cruelty bill called Susie's Law. Kids can meet Susie, watch her do tricks and learn about animal safety and dog training.

Playing a Master: For the fourth year, International Chess Master Allan Savage, a former Maryland State Chess champion, will be on-hand all day to challenge up to eight players at once, and Sola-Sole says he welcomes kids interested in chess to participate. "He's very encouraging," she said. "It's always wonderful to see kids thinking about their next move and taking it seriously."

For families who want an even lower-key approach to the festival, Sola-Sole suggests just packing a picnic, walking around the booths and listening to the live music, where you're bound to see a group of dancing tots. Local eateries like the , the and the will also be open for families with hungry little ones.