Archives: News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY – March 22, 2017 – After a two month-long open nomination process, Penguin Young Readers, the Children’s Book Council, and Every Child a Reader are proud to announce the five finalists for the first Anna Dewdney Read Together Award, to be given annually to a picture book that is both a superb read-aloud and also sparks compassion, empathy, and connection. The award commemorates the life and work of author/illustrator Anna Dewdney and celebrates her commitment to reading with young children and putting books into as many little hands as possible.

The five finalists, in alphabetical order, are:

EDWARD GETS MESSY, by Rita Meade; illus. by Olga Stern (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET, by Matt de la Pena; illus. by Christian Robinson (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers)

MOTHER BRUCE, by Ryan Higgins; illus. by Ryan Higgins (Disney)

TOBY, by Hazel Mitchell; illus. by Hazel Mitchell (Candlewick)

WON TON: A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU, by Lee Wardlaw; illus. by Eugene Yelchin (Holt Books for Young Readers)

The winning book will be announced during Children’s Book Week, May 1-7, 2017. The author and illustrator of the winning book will share a prize of $1,000 from the Children’s Book Council, and Penguin will purchase and donate $5,000 in copies of the winning book to a school, library, or literacy organization chosen by the award winner(s).

The finalists have been voted on by: Berol Dewdney, Early Childhood Educator, Baltimore, MD; Cheryl Lee, Program Coordinator-Branch Manager, Santa Clara City Library- Northside Branch Library, Santa Clara, CA: Kristine Millard, Co-Director and Youth Services Librarian, Lodi Public Library, Lodi, WI; Susannah Richards, Professor, Education, Eastern Connecticut State University, Windham, CT; and Crystal Soltren, Children’s Specialist, WORD Bookstores, Jersey City, NJ.

About Anna Dewdney
Anna Dewdney was the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Llama Llama Red Pajama. Other award-winning books in the Llama Llama series include Llama Lama and the Bully Goat, Llama Lama Time to Share, Llama Llama Misses Mama, Llama Llama Holiday Drama, and Llama Llama Mad at Mama. She was also the author/illustrator of Nobunny’s Perfect, Roly Poly Pangolin, and Grumpy Gloria. Anna worked as a rural mail carrier and taught at a boys’ boarding school for many years before becoming a full-time author and illustrator. Anna was a committed advocate of literacy, speaking regularly on this topic and publishing articles in the Wall Street Journal and other national outlets.

About Penguin Young Readers
Penguin Young Readers Group is one of the leading children’s book publishers in the United States. The company owns a wide range of imprints and trademarks including Dial Books, Dutton, Grosset & Dunlap, Kathy Dawson Books, Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Workshop, Philomel, Puffin, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Viking, Razorbill, Speak, and Frederick Warne. These imprints are home to such award-winning, New York Times- bestselling authors as, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jay Asher, Judy Blume, Jan Brett, Eric Carle, Ally Condie, Roald Dahl, Tomie dePaola, Sarah Dessen, Anna Dewdney, John Flanagan, John Green, Oliver Jeffers, Marie Lu, Mike Lupica, Richelle Mead, Richard Peck, Ruta Sepetys, Jacqueline Woodson and dozens of other popular authors. Penguin Young Readers Group is also the proud publisher of perennial brand franchises such as the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, Peter Rabbit, Spot, the Classic Winnie the Pooh, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Madeline, Mad Libs, the Rangers Apprentice, Skippyjon Jones, Who Was?, and Flower Fairies, among many others. Penguin Young Readers Group is a division of Penguin Group LLC, a Penguin Random House company.

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 & Teen 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 the CBC support Every Child a Reader.

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.

###

Penguin Contact:
Marisa Russell, Associate Director of Publicity
212-414-3467
mrussell@penguinrandomhouse.com

CBC/Every Child a Reader Contact:
Shifa Kapadwala, Publicity Manager
The Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader
212-966-1990
shifa.kapadwala@cbcbooks.org

Featuring Ekua Holmes, Yuyi Morales, LeUyen Pham, and Sonja Wimmer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY – March 7, 2017 – Every Child a Reader, a nonprofit literacy organization dedicated to inspiring a love of reading in children and teens across America, is proud to announce that the official 2017 Children’s Book Week bookmarks have been designed by four award-winning and bestselling children’s book illustrators.

The bookmarks are among the first of the new 2017 resource materials being posted online, as over 600 schools, libraries, and independent bookstores prepare for the 98th annual Children’s Book Week. From May 1- 7, 2017, these locations will host Book Week events using a wide array of downloadable materials, including these original bookmarks to be distributed to children and teens nationwide.

The original bookmark art and design were posted today on librarian Betsy Bird’s SLJ blog, A Fuse #8 Production, and feature the following four children’s book illustrators:

Ekua Holmes (Candlewick Press) is a fine artist whose work
explores themes of family, relationships, hope, and faith. The first children’s book she illustrated is Carole Boston Weatherford’s Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, which was a Caldecott Honor Book and a Robert F. Sibert Honor Book and for which she also won the John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award. Ekua Holmes lives in Boston.

Yuyi Morales (Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group) is an author, artist, and puppet maker and was the host of her own Spanish-language radio program for children. She has won numerous awards, including the Jane Addams Award, five Pura Belpré Medals and three Pura Belpré Honors, and a Caldecott Honor for Viva Frida. She divides her time between the San Francisco area and Veracruz, Mexico, where she was born.

LeUyen Pham (Scholastic Inc.) is a New York Times bestselling illustrator and has published over 80 books for children, including the Princess in Black series, by Shannon and Dean Hale, Grace for President, by Kelly DiPucchio, Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore, and Hats Off To You! by Karen Beaumont.  Her own books include The Bear Who Wasn’t There and A Piece of Cake. She lives in sunny California with her husband (who is also an artist) and two young sons.

Sonja Wimmer (NubeOcho) loves painting pictures and telling stories. After studying and working some years as a graphic designer in her hometown Munich and Brussels, she decided to pack her suitcase and move to Barcelona to study Illustration at the “Llotja” Arts and Crafts School. Since then she lives between brushes and all kinds of wonderful tales, working as a freelance illustrator for publishing houses and other clients around the world. Over the past years, several of her books have received awards in the United States.

Shaina Birkhead, Programming and Strategic Partnerships Director for Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, said: “The Children’s Book Week bookmark is an annual tradition, and this year, in keeping with our theme of One World, Many Stories, we asked four different artists to contribute their beautiful and inspiring work.”

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 the Children’s Book Council support Every Child a Reader.

About Children’s Book Week
Launched in 1919, Children’s Book Week will celebrate its 98^th 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, the 10^th annual awards voting is open from now 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.

###

Media Contact:
Shifa Kapadwala
The Children’s Book Council/Every Child a Reader
shifa.kapadwala@cbcbooks.org
212-966-1990

10^th annual awards are the only national books awards voted on only by children and teens

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY – March 3, 2017 – Every Child a Reader, a nonprofit literacy organization dedicated to inspiring a love of reading in children and teens across America, is proud to announce the finalists in four categories for the 10^th Annual Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards.

Launched in 2008 by Every Child a Reader and the Children’s Book Council, the awards provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about new books being written for them.

Voting for the awards will run online from Friday, March 3 to Sunday, May 7, 2017. Teachers, librarians, and booksellers can also collect group or classroom votes to enter online. Voting will be managed by DOGObooks.com, a leader in the children’s book field. Starting March 3, the online “voting booth” will feature jacket art and descriptions; a list of the finalists is available online now.

There are seven finalists in each of the three Children’s Choice Book Awards categories: K – 2^nd grade, 3^rd – 4^th grades, and 5^th– 6^th grades, and seven finalists in the Teen Choice Book Award category.

The winning authors and illustrators will be announced on May 31^st at a special ceremony at BookExpo featuring the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Gene Luen Yang, and newly-designed award stickers will be distributed to bookstores, libraries and schools across America.

The children’s award finalists were chosen in pre-voting by 36,000 children from different regions of the U.S., with supervision by the International Literacy Association. Teens nominated their favorite books of the year at TeenReads.com, and their top picks are the Teen Choice Book Award finalists.

The 28 finalists for the 2017 Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards are rich in relevance, plotline and prose. The stories, by authors of diverse ethnicities, feature storylines ranging from a tale of a library dog to issues concerning deportation, survival in the face of a school shooting, and true love.

Voting for this year’s awards will end on the last day of Children’s Book Week, which will celebrate its 98^th year with 500 library, school, and bookstore events across the country from May 1-7. Fifty copies of every winning book and all the the finalists will be donated to children in need across the country in June.

Shaina Birkhead, Programming and Strategic Partnerships Director for Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, stated: “We love the fact that this is the only book awards chosen by kids and teens. They know the books they love and we are proud to work with so many teachers, librarians, and booksellers to help gather the votes. We have created a virtual ‘voting booth’ online, and we expect over a million votes again this year.”

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 98^th anniversary in May 2017.

About the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards
Launched in 2008, the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards are the only national book awards voted on only by kids and teens. In 2017, the 10^th annual awards voting will be open from March 3 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.

About DOGObooks.com 
DOGObooks.com is the largest website for kids and teens to discover, rate and review books. With over 200,000 book review pages, DOGObooks empowers young readers to discover new books and share their favorites.

###

Media Contact:
Audra Boltion
The Boltion Group Public Relations
646-331-9904
audra@thebgpr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK CITY, February 3, 2017 —Every Child a Reader, the sponsor of Children’s Book Week, and First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 160 million brand new books to children in need, today announced they will partner to donate books to underserved children as part of Children’s Book Week. The joint effort marks the event’s first philanthropic component since its founding in 1919.

For each library, store or bookstore that participates fully in Children’s Book Week events and completes the post-CBW survey, First Book will make a donation to children in need.  More information about the opportunities for participation is at EveryChildaReader.net.

“Children’s Book Week is all about promoting a love of reading, which is critical to children’s academic success,” said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. “We are so grateful to Every Child a Reader for this opportunity to impact as many children as possible. For children growing up in low-income families, who often have no books at home, knowing that someone believes in them enough to give them a brand-new book can be significant, and First Book is thrilled to help make that happen.”

Book ownership and a print-rich environment are leading indicators of a child’s educational success, but for the 32 million children growing up in low-income families in the U.S. alone, books are scarce. A recent study by education researcher Susan Neuman identified vast “book deserts” across the United States, where communities have only a single book to be shared among as many as 830 children.  First Book works to ensure educational equity by serving the educators working with children in need across a wide range of settings, from classrooms, summer school and park and rec programs, to health clinics, homeless shelters, faith-based programs, libraries, museums, summer food sites and more.

“First Book’s impact on children in need is extraordinary and we feel lucky and privileged to be working in concert with them to help make a change in so many young people’s lives, and extending the reach of Children’s Book Week,” said Shaina Birkhead, programming and strategic partnerships director of the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader.

###

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, 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. Support for Every Child a Reader comes from grants, donations, and the Children’s Book Council.

About First Book

First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1992 that has distributed more than 160 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada, which, with more than 300,000 members, is the largest and fastest growing network of educators exclusively serving kids in need. By making new, high-quality books and educational resources available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. Eligible educators, librarians, program leaders, and others serving children in need can sign up at firstbook.org/register. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

About Children’s Book Week

Launched in 1919, Children’s Book Week will commemorate its 98^th anniversary in May 2017. It is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country.

Join National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang each month at Book Riot for the Creativity in Progress series, where he takes us inside the process of writing and illustrating comics!

In his latest post, Yang shares his approach to discerning the good ideas from the chaff. He finds that ideas rooted in emotion and that “infatuate” or linger with him are often the most promising.

As I continued making comics, I realized that it’s the embodiment of an idea as words or pictures or both that really counts. That’s the hard part.  That’s the part that’s really you. And that’s the part that actually worth protecting. (Book Riot)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, NY — January 27, 2017 — The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang, in partnership with the Children’s Book Council (CBC), the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress (CFB), Every Child a Reader, and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group (MCPG), is pleased to announce the launch of Reading Without Walls Month, which will take place annually starting April 2017.

The Reading Without Walls program asks young people to explore the world through books by breaking down barriers and celebrating diversity in children’s books. Specifically, it challenges readers to do one of the following: Read a book about a character who doesn’t look like them or live like them; read a book about a topic they don’t know much about; and read a book in a format that they don’t normally read for fun, such as a chapter book, an audio book, a graphic novel, or a book in verse.

“Reading is a fantastic way to open your minds and hearts to new people, places, and ideas,” says National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang. “Through reading, I’ve met new friends, learned new facts, and become a better person.” Luen Yang is the Printz Award-winning author of American Born Chinese, a two-time National Book Award finalist, and a recipient of the 2016 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship or “Genius Grant.” Yang is the country’s fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and has used his platform to travel the country and challenge readers of all ages to explore books of diverse voices, genres, and formats.

Independent bookstores, national retailers, schools, and libraries throughout the country will celebrate the launch of the program in April, hosting Reading Without Walls events with authors and illustrators. Consistent with Gene Luen Yang’s platform, these events will highlight the diverse genres, formats, and themes within children’s books.

“Gene’s Reading Without Walls program brilliantly challenges readers to expand their world through books. This can be a life-changing experience. We are thrilled to help expand this initiative to schools, stores, and libraries nationwide,” said Jon Yaged, President & Publisher of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

“From day one as our National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, the Every Child a Reader staff and our partners at the Library of Congress have been amazed and wowed by Gene Yang’s passion, energy, and constant flow of great ideas. We feel that this challenge will become a mainstay of our national literacy efforts for years to come and that it will change lives. Readers will rejoice!” said Shaina Birkhead, Programming and Strategic Partnerships Director at the Children’s Book Council.

“The Library of Congress is proud to support Gene’s National Ambassador initiative,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “Books can be windows on other places, experiences, and cultures. The National Ambassador program, through its current ambassador, is encouraging readers to leave their comfort zone to experience worlds unlike their own.”

Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, The Children’s Book Council, Every Child a Reader, and the Library of Congress have put together downloadable materials to support the program, including posters, reading lists, and certificates of completion and encourage schools, libraries, bookstores, and other organizations to issue the challenge to the young people of their communities.

To register, and to learn more about the program and how to participate, visit ReadingWithoutWalls.com, and share the news on social media using #ReadingWithoutWalls.

To speak with National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang, Carl Lennertz of the Children’s Book Council, or Jon Yaged from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group about Reading Without Walls, or for any additional information about the program, please contact Gina Gagliano (Gina.Gagliano@firstsecondbooks.com) or Amanda Mustafic (Amanda.Mustafic@macmillan.com).

About Reading Without Walls

Reading Without Walls is an annual nationwide reading program encouraging students to read books that they wouldn’t normally choose on their own. This means reading a broad variety of titles with different themes, diverse authors and content, formats, settings, characters, and subjects. This program is a challenge from the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Gene Luen Yang. To learn more about the program and how to participate, visit ReadingWithoutWalls.com.

About National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang

Gene Luen Yang began drawing comic books in the fifth grade; he began making comics professionally over fifteen years ago. In 2006, his graphic novel American Born Chinese (Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/First Second Books) became the first graphic novel to be a finalist for a National Book Award and the first to win the American Library Association’s Printz Award. It also won an Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album. In 2013, Boxers & Saints (Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/First Second Books), his two-volume graphic novel about the Boxer Rebellion, was a National Book Award finalist and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature. Gene has also won an Eisner for The Eternal Smile, a collaboration with Derek Kirk Kim. He is the author of the Secret Coders series (with artist Mike Holmes) and has written for the hit comics Avatar: The Last Airbender and Superman. Yang lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more at geneyang.com.

 About the Children’s Book Council (CBC)

The Children’s Book Council is the nonprofit trade association for children’s book publishers in North America, offering children’s publishers of all sizes the means to work together on vital issues such as literacy advocacy, diversity in employment and books, and partnerships with other prestigious national organizations.

Contact: Shaina Birkhead, Children’s Book Council
shaina.birkhead@cbcbooks.org

About Every Child a Reader

Every Child a Reader, a 501(c)(3) literacy charity dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of reading in children and teens across America, coordinates Children’s Book Week, the longest-running literacy initiative in the country. The 98^th annual Children’s Book Week will take place from May 1–7, 2017.

About the Center for the Book (CFB) at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress Center for the Book, which comprises the Young Readers Center as well as the Poetry and Literature Center, promotes books and libraries, literacy and reading, and poetry and literature. Our programs include a diverse range of events, series, lectures, partnerships, prizes, contests and awards.

About Macmillan

Macmillan Publishers is a global trade book publishing company with prominent imprints around the world. Macmillan publishes a broad range of award-winning books for children and adults in all categories and formats. US publishers include Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Flatiron Books, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Picador, St. Martin’s Press and Tor Books. In the UK, Australia, India and South Africa, Macmillan publishes under the Pan Macmillan name. The German company, Holtzbrinck Deutsche Buchverlage, includes among its imprints, S. Fischer, Kiepenheuer and Witsch, Rowohlt and Droemer Knaur. Macmillan Publishers is a division of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, a large family-owned media company headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.  www.macmillan.com.

Students at Bethlehem Elementary School in Connecticut have adopted National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang’s Reading Without Walls Challenge — encouraging readers of all ages to pick up a book that is unlike their usual reading.

Bethlehem students have made a pledge “to remove the walls that prevent you from becoming a well-read person,” sharing photos and testimonies about their experience.

Learn more about the Reading Without Walls Challenge here!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY – January 20, 2017 – Every Child a Reader has revealed the official Children’s Book Week poster commemorating the 98^th annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading, to be held May 1-7, 2017. This year’s poster is designed by Christian Robinson, the illustrator of such acclaimed picture books as Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio and Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, for which he received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor and a Caldecott Honor.

Robinson joins the ranks of children’s literature icons such as Ezra Jack Keats, Jerry Pinkney, Brian Selznick, Maurice Sendak, Rosemary Wells, and Garth Williams as the designer of the Children’s Book Week poster — a tradition dating back to the program’s creation in 1919. The 2017 poster features this year’s Children’s Book Week slogan, “One World, Many Stories,” highlighting the power of books to unite readers of all backgrounds. The poster was revealed by USA Today for the fifth consecutive year and will be distributed nationwide to attendees at official Book Week events in May.

Judith Haut, Senior Vice President, Associate Publisher of Random House Children’s Books and Chair of the Every Child a Reader Board, says of the poster, “We’re honored to feature Christian Robinson’s vibrant artwork among these historic tributes to the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country.”

Registration to be an official event location for Children’s Book Week is now open online, as Every Child a Reader seeks 500 schools, libraries, and bookstores across all 50 states to host dedicated story times, activity hours, book award voting time, or author/illustrator events. In addition to receiving the Children’s Book Week poster and access to downloadable materials, which range from bookmarks with art by four prominent illustrators to an original Every Child a Reader graphic novel, all participants will be included in a national publicity campaign and book donation. The deadline for event sign-up is March 1, 2017.

About Christian Robinson

Christian Robinson is “one of the most exciting children’s book artists working today,” according to the New York Times. He received a Caldecott Honor for Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, which was also a Newbery Medal winner and a New York Times Bestseller. He also illustrated Rain! by Linda Ashman, winner of the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award, and Josephine by Patricia Hruby Powell, recipient of a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. He lives in San Francisco. Learn more at TheArtOfFun.com.

About Children’s Book Week

Launched in 1919, Children’s Book Week will commemorate its 98^th anniversary May 1-7, 2017. It is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country.

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 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 the Children’s Book Council (CBC)

The Children’s Book Council is the nonprofit trade association for children’s book publishers in North America. The CBC offers children’s publishers the opportunity to work together on issues of importance to the industry at large, including educational programming, literacy advocacy, and partnerships with other national organizations. Our members span the spectrum from large international houses to smaller independent presses.

Media Contact:
Audra Boltion, The Boltion Group PR
646-331-9904
audra@thebgpr.com

CBC/Every Child a Reader Contact:
Emma Kantor, Publicity and Digital Content Manager
212-966-1990
emma.kantor@cbcbooks.org

Both students and faculty at the Solebury School in Pennsylvania have adopted National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang’s Reading Without Walls Challenge — encouraging readers of all ages to pick up a book that is unlike their usual reading.

Leading the way, Solebury’s head of school has pledged to read a book that students feel will expand his reading horizons. Here he is reading their selection: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling.

The school-wide challenge will culminate with a party and book discussion in early January 2017.

Learn more about the Reading Without Walls Challenge here!