Children's Book Week (May 7-13)

According to Book Week Online, "Children's Book Week is the national celebration of books and reading for youth.

Established in 1919, Children's Book Week is the longest-running literacy initiative in the country. Each year, books for young people and the joy of reading are feted for a full week with author and illustrator appearances, storytelling, parties, and other book-related events at schools, libraries, bookstores, museums, and homes from coast to coast!

Administered by Every Child A Reader, the CBC Foundation, and sponsored by the Children's Book Council, Children's Book Week celebrates the transformative power of literacy.

History

Children's Book Week originated in the belief that children's books and literacy are life-changers. In 1913, Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, began touring the country to promote higher standards in children's books. He proposed creating a Children's Book Week, which would be supported by all interested groups: publishers, booksellers, and librarians.

Mathiews enlisted two important allies: Frederic G. Melcher, the visionary editor of Publishers Weekly, and Anne Carroll Moore, the Superintendent of Children's Works at the New York Public Library and a major figure in the library world. With the help of Melcher and Moore, in 1916, the American Booksellers Association and the American Library Association sponsored a Good Book Week with the Boy Scouts of America.

In 1944, the newly-established Children's Book Council assumed responsibility for administering Children's Book Week. In 2008, Children’s Book Week moved from November to May. At that time, administration of Children’s Book Week, including planning official events and creating original materials, was transferred to Every Child a Reader, the philanthropic arm of the children’s publishing industry, and The Children's Book Council became a CBW anchor sponsor.

Children's Book Week Highlights!

Children's Book Week is a truly national celebration, with events happening from coast to coast throughout the week.

• Check out the line-up of Official Book Week events! Over 35 cities are hosting author and illustrator events during Book Week (May 7-13, 2011), with additional venues to come!
• Each year, the Children's Book Council enlists illustrators to design a commemorative Children's Book Week Poster and Bookmark. Download the 2011 Book Week bookmark by Jeff Kinney and order your 2011 Poster by Peter Brown!
• Children's Choice Book Awards Gala! In 2008, the Children's Book Council created the Children's Choice Book Awards, the only national child-chosen book awards program, giving young readers a powerful voice in their own reading choices. Each year, the award winners are announced live at the highly-anticipated Children's Choice Book Awards Gala during Book Week (May 2, 2011)!

In honor of Children's Book Week, we are participating in a book giveaway.  Check back tomorrow for details.

 

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