Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Happy Children's Book Week!

In 1919, the American Booksellers Association committed to organizing an annual Children's Book Week. A few months later, the American Library Association officially approved it during its first Children's Librarians session - and twenty five years after that, the newly-established Children's Book Council assumed responsibility for administering the event, planning official events and creating original materials. But the need for Children’s Book Week is as essential today as it was in 1919. The task remains the same as it was when Frederic Melcher made this fundamental declaration: “A great nation is a reading nation.”

You can celebrate Children's Book Week any number of ways. Join the official celebrations...

Tuesday, May 12 - Children's Choice Book Awards Gala
The second annual Children's Choice Book Awards, at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan. Individual tickets - $300. Call (212) 677-3173, ext. 240 or email CBC@PaintTheTownRed.net.

Tuesday, May 12 and Wednesday, May 13 - Children's Book Week in Chicago
Renowned storyteller Barbara Clark performs three events in Chicago to celebrate Book Week and the 40th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, May 14 - Children's Book Week in Seattle
National Ambassador Jon Scieszka visits The Secret Garden Bookshop to celebrate Book Week.

Saturday, May 16 - Children's Book Week in Boston
Activities will be held at Copley Square, Boston, at the main branch of the Boston Public Library and also in neighborhood branch locations. Participating authors are Paul Carrick, Erin Dionne, Kate Feiffer, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Megan McDonald, Sara Pennypacker, Michael Rex, Linda Urban, and Alan Witschonke. Join the fun from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. just outside the Rey Children's Room on the main floor. Free and open to the public.

OR...

•Make your voice heard with the Children's Choice Book Awards! Click here to see the finalists, then vote for your favorite! Awards will be given to the winner in each age group and will be posted on the Book Week site.

•Test your skills with Children's Book Week puzzles!

•Great authors have started a story… help them finish the tale with Story Starters.

Download the official Children's Book Week bookmark, or make your own charmed bookmark.

• Tell your teacher or librarian to check out the teachers and librarians page on the Children's Book Council website for great ideas for how to celebrate Book Week.

If nothing else, READ to a child! Remember that a love of reading starts with a connection between reading and pleasure - and the best way to cultivate that connection is to read something wonderful to a child, with love.





2 comments:

scb said...

The injunction to "Read to a child!" leaves me wishing (certainly not for the first time) for grandchildren to read to! It occurs to me to wonder if local public library story-times ever need volunteers... ... ...

In the meantime, I shall send books to a couple of small boys in my family, and their grandmother can read them to them, in "Auntie" Beth's place.

Thanks for all you and your mum do to highlight the importance of reading to children. Where would we be if we could not read? Where will our society be if our children do not read?

scb said...

P.S. I've just posted about Children's Book Week on my blog, http://weartheoldcoat.blogspot.com with a link to your post. I've talked about how my mother made sure she raised a bookworm when she was raising me, and I've given some links to some excellent children's books, including Dragon: Hound of Honor, as well as a couple of Canadian children's books that your kids might enjoy. Feel free to pop over to my blog and check it out! (Your daughter *might* like Keeper of the Trees, or you might want to wait a year or to, and I think your son might like the Guests of War trilogy...)