An affiliate of the Center for the Book
in the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) Center for the Book was established in 1977 to promote books, reading, libraries, and literacy. In 1997, the Maine Humanities Council established the Maine Center for the Book as a state affiliate of that program. It was renamed the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book in 2003, in honor of Maine’s first female judge, a former Board chair of MHC and a longtime supporter of the humanities.
LOC Center for the Book
Promoting reading, libraries, and literacy
The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is a community of 56 Affiliated Centers, promoting reading, libraries and literacy through the Library of Congress and its Affiliated Centers across the country.
LOC National Book Festival
Held in the Nation’s Capital
The annual National Book Festival is held in the nation’s capital at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The event is free and open to the public.
Monster Locker
Co-written by Maine Graphic Novelist Andrés Vera Martínez
Monster Locker is Maine’s selection for the 2026 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Something in the basement of sixth-grader Pablo Ortiz’s school has waited hundreds of years for its chance to open a portal into the realm of monsters. Pablo’s new friends and the wisdom passed down by his abuela help him take her on.
The Islanders
By Maine’s Lewis Robinson
The Islanders is Maine’s adult selection for the 2026 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, DC. Shaken by problems at home, Walt joins a new leadership program on Whaleback Island off the coast of Maine. As Walt and his fellow misfits are challenged by ex-military instructors, the reasons behind their intense training slowly surface. Walt and the others must use their new skills find a way to survive