An award-winning, nonprofit organization that celebrates the powerful impact books have on young people
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Major new plans for the longest-running national reading initiative in the U.S.
New York, NY – December 7, 2016 – Every Child a Reader, a nonprofit literacy organization dedicated to inspiring reading by kids and teens, announced today that its anchor program, Children’s Book Week, will open a dramatic new chapter in 2017 — its 98th year — with an increased number of events from May 1-7, reformatted book awards, new websites, original materials and artwork, and more.
As Shaina Birkhead, Programming and Strategic Partnerships Director for Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, stated: “Children’s Book Week is one of the cornerstones of Every Child a Reader’s literacy work, and we are pulling out all the stops for the biggest and best Children’s Book Week yet. Our goal is to more than triple the number of library, school, and bookstore Book Week event participants nationwide.”
Registration to be an official Children’s Book Week library, bookstore, or school in 2017 will begin online in January after an extensive trade media push, complemented by publisher outreach, social media and email notifications, as well as promotion at ALA Midwinter and ABA Winter Institute. The streamlined application process will ask schools, libraries, and bookstores to choose whether to hold a Book Week story time, activity hour, or author event — or a combination of celebrations. All locations will receive a quantity of the official 2017 Book Week poster illustrated by Christian Robinson.
Event locations will also be asked to host voting for the Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards, as, for the first time next year, voting will extend through the final day of Book Week, May 7. In 2017, the award winners will be announced in conjunction with the ABC Children’s Group/ABFE art auction on May 31 at BookExpo.
An all-new website ready by February 1 will feature downloadable event and voting kits, press release templates, and exclusive new bookmarks by four prominent children’s book illustrators. Also in the works are two Every Child a Reader original booklets — a Spanish-English first words coloring book and a graphic novel based on Book Week’s 2017 theme: One World, Many Stories.
Carl Lennertz, CBC and Every Child a Reader Executive Director, added: “We’re going to energize the entire children’s book world this spring, thanks to the enthusiastic support of teachers, parents, librarians, booksellers, authors, illustrators, CBC committees, publishing employees, the media, other literacy groups — and kids and teens! — for this wonderful annual tradition known as Children’s Book Week.”
About Every Child a Reader
Every Child a Reader is a 501(c)(3) literacy charity dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of reading in children and teens across America. Every Child a Reader’s popular national programs include Children’s Book Week (May 1-7, 2017), the longest-running literacy initiative in the country; the Children’s Choice Book Awards, the only book awards chosen by children and teens; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress. Individual and corporate donations, grants, and Children’s Book Council support Every Child a Reader.
About Children’s Book Week
Launched in 1919, Children’s Book Week will celebrate its 98th anniversary in May 2017.
About the Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards
Launched in 2008, the Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards are the only national book awards voted on only by kids and teens. In 2017, voting will be open from February 28 to May 7.
About the Children’s Book Council (CBC)
Every Child a Reader works in partnership with the Children’s Book Council, the nonprofit trade association for children’s book publishers in North America. The CBC offers children’s publishers, from smaller independent presses to large international houses, the opportunity to work together on issues of importance to the industry at large, including educational programming, diversity in employment and books, literacy advocacy, and partnerships with other national organizations.
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Media Contact:
Emma Kantor, Publicity and Digital Content Manager
Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader
212/966-1990 emma.kantor@cbcbooks.org
