Readers and book lovers will want to take in the first-ever North Dakota Festival of the Book, to be held at Kirkwood Mall in Bismarck on Saturday.

"Center for the Book is excited to offer the Festival of the Book to the people of North Dakota," said Center for the Book President Susan Hammer-Schneider of Bismarck. "We feel this is a wonderful way for readers to meet the authors and the authors to share their stories and gifts with the general public."

Ten authors from the Dakotas will be reading or making presentations from two stages inside the mall. One stage will be primarily for authors of children's literature.

After their presentations, the authors will be signing books at Maxwell's Bookstore in Kirkwood Mall. For every book sold, Maxwell's is donating a $1 to Center for the Book.

A special drawing is planned for all those who have a Folkfest button.

The festival, organized by the Center for the Book, is an opportunity for primarily North Dakota authors to meet their reading public, to encourage a lifelong love for the written word and to generally celebrate books.

Up to 10 booths promoting reading activities from various organizations will be in the mall.

And new and used books will be collected for underprivileged children in North Dakota. Books will be distributed through North Dakota Title 1 reading programs. Those who bring books will be able to sign up for a drawing to win a special prize.

The authors and times for their presentations are:

North stage:

12 p.m. - Jeff Evenson, "Art of the Lewis & Clark Trail," Lewis & Clark & Sacagawea cookbooks.

1 p.m. - Barbara Patzman & Todd Hanson, "Would you have gone with Lewis & Clark, North Dakota Edition?" And the North Dakota teachers guide for "Would you have Gone with Lewis & Clark?'

2 p.m. - John Hoganson and Ed Muphy, "Geology of the Lewis and Clark Trail In North Dakota."

3 p.m. - Parnel Plante, "Theory of A Miracle."

4 p.m. - Terri Evenson, Lewis & Clark & Sacagawea cookbooks

5 p.m. - Arlette Schweitzer, "Whatever It Takes"

South Stage

12:30 p.m. - Brenda Ehrmantraut, "I Want One, Too."

1:30 p.m. - Roxanne Sayler Henke, "Becoming Olivia, After Anne, Finding Ruth."

2:30 p.m. - Lise Erdrich, "Bears Make Rock Soup" and "Sacagawea."

3:30 p.m. - Ryan Taylor, "Cowboy Logic."

4:30 p.m. - Cathy Langemo, "Discovering your Dakota Roots."

The North Dakota Center for the Book is a volunteer board of directors and officers committed to celebrating North Dakota authors and promoting literacy by creating a lifelong love of books.

The mission of the North Dakota Center for the Book is to promote and celebrate books, the literary arts and North Dakota's intellectual heritage.