Washington State Library staffer Crystal Lentz holds “Wheedle and the Noodle.” (Photo courtesy of Jeff Martin) 

Washington will again be represented at one of the top annual book events in America.

Every year, the Washington State Library chooses a book to represent Washington in the National Book Festival’s Pavilion of the States exhibit.

For 2013, the State Library has chosen “Wheedle and the Noodle,” written by Stephen Cosgrove and illustrated by Robin James, as the book to represent Washington.

The National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, is now in its 13th year.  This popular event celebrating the joys of reading and lifelong literacy will be held Sept. 21-22 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

State Librarian Rand Simmons, who has been thinking about getting his own Noodle after reading “Wheedle and the Noodle,” had this say about the book:

 “Who can resist the charms of a kitten? Apparently Wheedle could. And just when we despair over the plight of Noodle and the insensitivity of Wheedle there is a wicked turn in the plot. Having lost my cat of 19 years recently, ‘Wheedle and the Noodle’ had me thinking about finding my own Noodle. I love the storytelling style of author Stephen Cosgrove and the vibrant illustrations of Robin James. For sure, this is a story to snuggle into a comfy chair with your child or grandchild and read aloud together.”

Crystal Lentz, who is organizing the State Library’s participation in the book festival, added:

“I loved ‘Wheedle and the Noodle.’ It was fun to read about the Wheedle’s search around Seattle for what woke him up.  The illustrations are beautiful and the story is heartwarming.”

The Pavilion of the States event, which is held Sept. 21, represents the reading and library promotion programs and literary events in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. When people enter the Pavilion they pick up a Discover Great Places Through Reading map of the United States, which they can take around to each state and territory in the Pavilion 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 nonfiction about the state or by an author from the state that is a good read for children or young adults, who are the primary audience for the Pavilion of the States.

The Pavilion of the States is organized by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.