Richard Peck speaks to a captivated audience at the 2004 National Book Festival. Peck, who has written more than 30 novels for age groups from middle-graders to young adults, has received commendations such as the 1990 Margaret A. Edwards Award, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association of the American Library Association; the 1990 National Council of Teachers of English/ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to young-adult literature; and the Edgar Award. Additionally, A Year Down Yonder (2001) won the 2001 Newbery Medal, and its prequel, A Long Way from Chicago, was a National Book Award finalist and a Newbery Honor Book. His most recent book is Past Perfect, Present Tense (Penguin, 2004), a collection of short stories. From the Series:The Library of Congress: 2004 National Book Festival