2013 – National Book Festival
In anticipation of NJCFB’s year-long celebration of the 350th Anniversary of the State of New Jersey throughout the coming year, this year’s book for our exhibit in the Pavilion of States was The Scarlet Stocking Spy: A Revolutionary War Tale by New Jersey author and illustrator Trinka Hakes Noble.
A heartfelt tale of a young girl whose brother is serving in Washington’s army, she helps by watching the port and alerting her brother by hanging out her scarlet red stockings when she sees British battleships, loading them w/stones to hang heavily when the ships are low in the water, signifying a large armaments load. When her brother’s jacket is brought to her w/a hole in it, she knows what has happened. The pewter buttons say U.S. and to her they mean ‘us’, she and her brother. She fervently makes a 13-star American flag in his memory from his blue jacket, her scarlet stockings and her white petticoat, hanging it outside her window along with the rest of the city in celebration of Washington’s victory in New Jersey at the Battle of Monmouth.
Our exhibit featured a 13-star Betsy Ross flag and of course a pair of scarlet red stockings! As usual, large crowds of visitors, families and children attended this year’s National Book Festival on the mall in Washington, as history buffs enjoyed chatting with us and children enjoyed our New Jersey salt water taffy!
