Sixth-Grader from Indiana Wins 'National Book Festival Official Bookmark' Contest Sponsored by Borders, Library of Congress

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Borders, the official book retailer of the 10th Annual National Book Festival, today announced the winners of the "National Book Festival Official Bookmark" design contest, sponsored in partnership with the Library of Congress. Borders teamed with the Library to encourage children across the country to design a bookmark that conveys their love of reading to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Book Festival. 

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100910/DE62484 )

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100910/DE62484  )

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO )

Delaney Benich, a sixth-grader from Indiana, has been named the contest Grand Prize winner. Her "I Can Dream Anything While Reading" bookmark design was chosen from among thousands of colorful and creative entries from kids of all ages.  Delaney's design includes a series of five frames that spell "DREAM," each frame depicting a scene — a climber scaling a mountain; a spaceship orbiting the Earth; a purple-winged dragon; the Wicked Witch of the West and farm house from "The Wizard of Oz"; and a magnifying glass hovering over mysterious footprints. As the Grand Prize winner, Delaney will receive a $500 Borders gift card for herself and another $500 Borders gift card for her school library. In addition, her bookmark — the official bookmark of the National Book Festival — will be distributed to tens of thousands of book lovers when they descend on the National Mall in Washington D.C. for the Festival Sept. 25. 

Craig Hammond, a second-grader from Nevada, was honored with a 2nd Place prize for his "I Love Reading" design featuring a boy, a girl, a dog, a cat and even a one-eyed alien on Cloud 9, immersed in the joy of reading. Craig and his library will each receive a $250 Borders gift card. Nicole Fernanda Peinado-Maldonado, who is in the fourth grade and lives in Colorado, was chosen as the national 3rd Place winner for her "Every Page is a Waiting Adventure" illustration, depicting a contented frog holding a red book and dreaming of Darth Vader. She and her school library will each receive a $100 gift card.

"Creativity is at the heart of all the things that make a library a library. I can think of no better way to celebrate the love of books, which is the object of the Library of Congress National Book Festival, than to ask young people to bring us their creativity in such a delightful way," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "What they created was amazing."

"It was a pleasure to team with the Library of Congress on the National Book Festival Official Bookmark contest — the first in the Festival's history," said Larry Norton, Senior Vice President of Merchandising – Adult Trade and Children's.  "We were really impressed with all of the imaginative designs we received from kids from all over the country. The illustrations were colorful and creative — sparked, no doubt, by a love of books. It's truly inspiring to see kids so passionate about reading."

As the official book retailer for the 10th Annual National Book Festival, Borders will have a store in the Book Sales Pavilion, so attendees can quickly and conveniently pick up their books before heading over to the Author Signing Pavilions located nearby.

About the National Book Festival and Library of Congress

The National Book Festival is a keystone event of the Library of Congress promoting literacy and creativity. The Library, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, is the world's preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled collections and integrated resources to Congress and the American people. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov; the National Book Festival website can be found at www.loc.gov/bookfest.

About Borders Group, Inc.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) is a leading specialty retailer of books as well as other educational and entertainment items. The company employs approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders® and Waldenbooks® stores. Online shopping is offered through borders.com. Find author interviews and vibrant discussions of the products we and our customers are passionate about online at facebook.com/borders, twitter.com/borders and youtube.com/bordersmedia. For more information about the company, visit borders.com/media.

SOURCE Borders