Real books: They’re still a thing! Here, attendees scanned the book sales section of the 2017 National Book Festival. (Photo by Shawn Miller / Library of Congress)

Your favorite time of year is almost here again, book lovers. Around 150 of the country’s most celebrated authors, poets and illustrators will attend the 18th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 1.

The Book Festival fills Washington’s vast convention center with a jam-packed schedule, so it’s time to get planning. That’s why we created a suggested itinerary to help you navigate the beautiful chaos and catch a wide swath of the offerings.

A few quick tips before you go: First, the festival is free, and seating is first come, first served. Many of the author events do get crowded, so arrive early if you want to guarantee yourself a seat. Download the festival’s free mobile app as a handy way to keep track and create your own schedule.

If you plan to get books signed, you can buy copies from the Politics & Prose sales area on the Lower Level and bring them with you to author signing events. Be sure to look up book signing times in advance, as they often do not directly follow authors’ speaking events.

The festival’s literary director, Marie Arana, also has some important advice to add: Bring comfortable shoes, and prepare to stay longer than you thought you would.

Enjoy – and happy reading!

9:30 – 9:55 a.m. Matthew Cordell

For the ambitious early arrivers, make this presentation by children’s book author and illustrator Matthew Cordell on the Children’s Purple Stage your first stop. Cordell’s Wolf in the Snow won this year’s Caldecott prize for most distinguished American picture book for children. His pen and watercolor illustrations bring to life the story of a little girl and wolf lost in the snow. The wintery images could delight young readers who seek a respite from the swampy heat of the D.C. summer.

Before you go: Get a look at of some of Cordell’s illustrations in this NPR post about Cordell’s Caldecott win.

Another option: See another Caldecott winner, Brendan Wenzel, discuss his illustrations of wild creatures on the Children’s Green Stage (9:30 – 9:55 a.m.).

10 – 10:50 a.m. David Ignatius

Washington Post columnist and foreign affairs expert David Ignatius is also the author of 10 novels. His new thriller, The Quantum Spy, chronicles a race between America and China to build a hyper-fast, code-cracking quantum computer. The book is grounded in the real-world technological arms race, a subject Ignatius knows well. He will be speaking on the History & Biography Stage.

Before you go: Listen to Ignatius discuss his thriller on On Point.

Another option: The prolific author and publisher Dave Eggers will join the subject of his new book, The Monk of Mokha, on the Main Stage (10 – 11:00 a.m.).

11:25 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Justice Sotomayor will speak on the Main Stage about her two new books for children. The first, The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor, is a young adult adaptation of her 2014 memoir My Beloved World. The second, Turning Pages: My Life Story, presents a version of her memoir for young children. Both books cover Sotomayor’s childhood in the Bronx and the journey that took her from housing projects to the Ivy League, a prestigious corporate law firm and, eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court.

“This is really a fun dynamic, because we’ve never had a Main Stage author talk to kids before,” said Arana. “That’s a pretty exciting prospect for us.”

Before you go: Read a review of My Beloved World by NPR’s legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg.

Another option: Skip the massive crowds and head to Jennifer Elise Foerster’s presentation on the Poetry and Prose stage about the poetry of native nations (11:00 – 12:15 p.m.).

12 – 12:50 p.m. Tayari Jones

Sneak out of Justice Sotomayor’s presentation a bit early to catch the tail end of Tayari Jones’s presentation on the Fiction stage. Jones’s novel, An American Marriage, was a 2018 selection for Oprah’s Book Club selection. The story follows two ambitious black newlyweds, Celestial and Roy, as they try to navigate their relationship after Roy is falsely accused of rape.

Before you go: Listen to Jones speak to Karen Grigsby Bates of NPR’s Code Switch team about the inspiration for An American Marriage and the singular experience of being promoted by Oprah.

Another option: Best-selling young adult author Brendan Kiely will be on the Teens stage to talk about Tradition, his new book about prep school drama (12:15 – 12:50 p.m.).

12:50 – 1:50 p.m. Madeleine Albright

If you’re a robot and don’t need sustenance or sunlight to survive, skip lunch and head to the Main Stage, where former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will discuss her new book, Fascism: A Warning. Prior to being appointed Secretary of State in 1997, Albright served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Before you go: Listen to Albright explain where she sees the warning signs of fascism around the world on Diane Rehm’s WAMU podcast On My Mind.

Another option: Go take a walk outside and grab a bite to eat. Don’t forget to hydrate, too—there’s still lots to see and do.

1:35 – 2 p.m. Jacqueline Woodson

If there’s a literary award to win, Jacqueline Woodson has probably won it. She has a whopping three books coming out this year: children’s book Harbor Me, middle-grade novel The Day You Begin, and a 20th anniversary reissue of the young adult novel If You Come Softly. The book follows the relationship between Ellie, an upper-middle-class Jewish girl, and Jeremiah, her black classmate at a New York prep school.

Woodson is also the Library of Congress’s National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She’ll be in conversation on the Children’s Purple Stage with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.

Before you go: Listen to Woodson discuss the future of young people’s literature with NPR’s Lynn Neary.

Another option: Husband-and-wife team Deborah and James Fallows will be on the Understanding Our World stage to discuss their new book, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America (1 – 1:45 p.m.).

2 – 2:50 p.m. Andrew Sean Greer

As a teen, Greer shelved books at Politics & Prose and wrote his first (still unpublished) novel while a high school student at Georgetown Day School. He won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction this year for his novel Less, a travel comedy of sorts about a middle-aged novelist trying to escape the pain of a broken heart. You can find Greer on the Fiction Stage.

Before you go: Check out this conversation Greer had with WAMU about growing up in Rockville, learning how to write, and winning the Pulitzer.

Another option: Alexander Hamilton author Ron Chernow will talk about his new book on Ulysses S. Grant on the History and Biography stage (2 – 2:45 p.m.).

3:40 – 4:40 p.m. Doris Kearns Goodwin

The American biographer and historian is back with a new book, Leadership: In Turbulent Times. Goodwin explores the leadership qualities of the four U.S. Presidents she’s studied most closely: Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson. It’s a relevant topic for us Washingtonians, don’t you think? She will speak on the Main Stage.

Before you go: Listen to Goodwin discuss the temperament of past presidents with NPR’s Scott Simon.

Another option: Time for a science break! Catch oceans expert Juli Berwald talk jellyfish on the Understanding Our World stage (3:50 – 4:40 p.m.).

4:55 – 5:40 p.m. Luis Umberto Urrea

The Mexican-American best-selling author found inspiration for his latest novel in both personal and political events. His older brother’s death from cancer and the Trump administration’s attitudes towards Mexican immigrants intermingle in the The House of Broken Angels. Don’t miss his presentation on the Fiction stage.

Before you go: Listen to Urrea’s conversation with to Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air about growing up with a Mexican father and American mother.

Another option: Fantasy author Leigh Bardugo will discuss her most recent book, Crooked Kingdom, and her forthcoming title, King of Scars. on the Genre Fiction stage (4:55 – 5:40 p.m.).

6 – 7:30 p.m. Teen poetry slam

If you’re ready for a little verve and rhythm after a day of seated author talks, close out your festival experience at the annual poetry slam. This year’s event will feature some of the country’s top youth slam performers, including teens from D.C. and Baltimore.

“These are kids who come with this amazingly fresh, imaginative, innovative poetry,” Arana said. “It’s just such a highlight of the festival.”

Before you go: Watch a video of last year’s poetry slam. You can catch the incredible winner, Aniyah Smith of Washington, D.C., performing at 39:01.

Another option: Little Fires Everywhere author Celeste Ng will be on the Fiction stage (6:45 – 7:30 p.m.).

This post was originally published on WAMU.