BISMARCK — The books which will represent North Dakota at the 26th National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. have been selected by the North Dakota Center for the Book. Dubbed “Great Reads from Great Places”, the books are featured each year in the “Roadmap to Reading” area of the festival, which is visited by thousands of attendees.
For 2026, North Dakota’s two selected Great Reads titles are “July 4, 2026: The Tenacious 10 Celebrate the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence” by Paulette Bullinger and Kevin Kremer and Jeff Kolpack’s “They Caught Them Sleeping: How Dot Reinvented the Pretzel.”
With help from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the ND Center for the Book intends to sponsor a book tour across the state, and plans for the tour include a reading from an author, a discussion of their work, and a book signing.
Great Reads from Great Places is an annual selection of books made by 56 affiliated Centers for the Book across the country. The selection is meant to highlight books that take place, celebrate or are written by authors from each state or territory. According to the Library of Congress, each Center for the Book chooses its Great Reads titles by convening expert panels and welcoming nominations from the public.
The Library makes the annual book lists available online and as part of the National Book Festival.
Sometime soon, the ND Center for the Book, which operates as part of the North Dakota State Library (NDSL) will be looking for libraries across the state to sign up for hosting the tour. Libraries will be chosen based on availability of the author. According to NDSL literacy specialist Tammy Kruger, a form for libraries to sign up for the tour is in the works and will be made available.
The Dickinson Press is southwest ND’s community-driven, professional and hyper-local newspaper since 1883.
