Books by New Mexico authors selected to represent the state at the 2024 National Book Festival

New Mexico Center for the Book, administered by New Mexico State Library announced it has selected one youth book and one adult book to represent the state at the 2024 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. The books chosen are the children’s picture book “Herizon” by Daniel W. Vandever and Corey Begay and adult mystery novel “A Bad Day for Sunshine” by Darynda Jones.

Both titles will be part of the National Center for the Book Great Reads from Great Places program. Great Reads from Great Places features books and authors representing the literary heritage of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Marianas.

“We are pleased to showcase these books about New Mexico and share them with this year’s National Book Festival participants,” said New Mexico State Librarian Eli Guinnee. “The National Book Festival brings booklovers together from across the country and beyond to celebrate reading, literacy, authors and community.”

The National Book Festival will include many livestreamed and recorded virtual programs celebrating books and authors, which will be posted on the National Book Festival website and the PBS Books site. You can also find out more about the New Mexico titles on the New Mexico State Library National Book Festival site.

About the Books

“Herizon” is a wordless picture book that follows the journey of a Diné (Navajo) girl as she helps her grandmother retrieve a flock of sheep with the help of a magical scarf. The inspiring story celebrates creativity and bravery, while promoting an inclusive future made possible through intergenerational strength and knowledge, and it is an ode to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR). Co-created by Daniel W. Vandever and Corey Begay, Vandever is the owner of South of Sunrise Creative, a strategic communications firm that focuses on equity, access, and advancement, and Begay is a Diné (Navajo) artist and graphic designer from Cedar Springs, Arizona on the Navajo Nation.

“A Bad Day for Sunshine,” written by “The New York Times” bestselling author Darynda Jones, is the first book in a laugh out loud, page turning series featuring a sassy, tough as stilettos sheriff named Sunshine. The book is set in Del Sol, New Mexico, a small town that has it all—family, friends, an old flame and a kidnapper on the loose.

About New Mexico Center for the Book

New Mexico Center for the Book is a state affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. The New Mexico center promotes literacy and a love of books, reading and libraries throughout the state, celebrating New Mexico’s literary heritage, and is administered by New Mexico State Library, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information about New Mexico State Library and Center for the Book visit nmstatelibrary.org.

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