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EVERY CHILD A READER PARTNERS AGAIN FOR AN EPIC CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK COLLECTION 

New York, NY (Nov. 9, 2020)—Every Child a Reader and the Children’s Book Council are proud to partner with Epic again in 2020 on an updated children’s book collection for the fall celebration of Children’s Book Week, Nov. 9-15. These books for kids ages 4 – 12 exemplify this year’s Book Week slogan, Read. Dream. Share.

The collection features books for every grade level, pre-K to 6th in a range of genres, formats, and topics. It also features some of the finalists books in this year’s Children’s Choice Book Awards. Kids are able to vote on their favorite books in three categories, K-2nd, 3rd-4th, and 5th-6th, from now until November 15 at EveryChildaReader.net/vote. Included in the collection is a video series produced by KidLit TV which features the awards finalists creators.

Epic continues to offer its vast library free to schools, and is accessible to students whether they are learning in-person or remotely this year, while parents at home can register for a free 30-day trial.

More resources for Children’s Book Week and the Children’s Choice Book Awards, from a free coloring book to original videos, can be found by following #BookWeek2020atHome or going to EveryChildaReader.net.

Author/illustrator Sydney Smith’s stunning Children’s Book Week official bookmark art is a featured visual of this collection. His art highlights the power of community and connection, of how kids can read, dream, and share by turning their dreams into action. Some of Smith’s books are available in the collection, along with so many others to inspire kids. “I can’t think of a more perfect way to spend my days, than to stand together with my fellow bookmakers in reading, dreaming, and sharing” says Smith. Celebrate with him and his colleagues all week long!

About Epic!
Designed for unlimited discovery and unmatched safety, Epic is the leading digital reading platform for kids 12 and under. Epic features 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world’s best publishers.  Epic additionally features personalized content and built-in progress tracking. Epic reaches more than 20 million kids, and does not house inappropriate content, ads, or in-app purchases. Epic is always free for educators. The successful Epic Originals series, enjoyed by millions of young readers, is now available in both digital and print formats.
Learn more @ getepic.com or follow us on social @epic4kids @epic4educators.

About Children’s Book Week 
Celebrating its 101^st anniversary, this longest-running literacy initiative in the United States is administered by the Children’s Book Council and its 501c3 charitable arm, Every Child a Reader, which also sponsors national programs such as Get Caught Reading, the Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards, and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, in cooperation with the Library of Congress. Children’s Book Week is celebrated each year during May and November.

Media Contacts:
Amber Harrison, Epic!, amber@getepic.com
Shaina Birkhead, Every Child a Reader, shaina.birkhead@cbcbooks.org

The finalists for the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards, now in its 13th year, were announced in PW Children’s Bookshelf on August 11.

Seven finalists in each of four categories will be voted on by kids and teens across the country from now until November 15 online.

A video series, in partnership with KidLit TV, featuring the finalist and their creators will be released in October, and brand new downloadable activities are now available!

Check out this year’s finalists and encourage the kids and teens in your care to read the books and voice their choice!

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About the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards

The Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards are the only national book awards voted on solely by kids and teens. Launched in 2008 by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, the awards provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them. Finalists titles are determined through the Children’s Choices and Young Adults’ Choices programs in partnership with the International Literacy Association.

Connecting with and supporting our amazing community of teachers, school & public librarians, booksellers, and readers is more important than ever — we are inspired every day by the work you do to create life-long readers. This is why, we are excited to share a monthly newsletter with you in support of your efforts to stay connected and provide resources to engage kids around books.

This newsletter will be brief and contain links to information and resources created by Every Child a Reader, The Children’s Book Council, CBC Members, and partners. Check out a sample of our first newsletter below, and if you would like to subscribe please sign up here.

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Resources and News for You!

• National Ambassador for Young People Literature Jason Reynolds is connecting with kids online through his “Write. Right. Rite.” video series as well as a monthly GRAB THE MIC newsletter.

• We are excited to celebrate Children’s Book Week in the fall — November 9-15. Stay tuned for the release of new materials and activities to help you celebrate online and at home.

• A great personal experience piece on how to raise a little bookworm in the age of smartphones and tablets, from The Guardian.

• It can be hard to sift through the multitude of materials available online around children’s books, so we’ve created a one-stop-shop for free resources for specific books, characters, and themes. Find educator kits, videos, activity kits, and more at our At-Home resources hub.

• Check out and attend Independent Bookstore Day as 600+ local bookstores around the country join for a full day of virtual author events.

• Looking for anti-racists resources and information relating to children’s books?

• Check out the CBC Blog for more themed book lists, news, and fun book creator features.

• Book Riot brought us a great compilation of 20 Social Justice Books for Young Adults and Middle Grades … and those of us just young at heart.

• The CBC has a Graphic Novels Committee that has been very active with the various virtual Comic-Cons this year. These events featuring graphic novel creators are still available to watch online!
  • Comic-Con@Home: New Kids Comics from Eisner Award Publishers
  • Comic-Con@Home: License to Thrill: Graphic Novel Adaptations for Kids
  • Comic-Con@Home: The Power of Teamwork in Kids Comics
  • BookCon: We Need Diverse Kids Comics (panel starts at 42:05)

• A librarian makes the case for graphic novels for kids. If the kids in your life connect with comics don’t be afraid to let them read them. They’re real books.

• Read the delightful Q&A with Jordan Ifueko, author of Raybearer on the CBC Diversity section of our blog.

• If you’re currently going through a reading slump, you’re not alone. LifeHack recommends Rereading Your Favorite Books From Childhood.

• The Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards Finalists have been announced. Voting starts on September 14, so check them out and start reading!

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If you would like to subscribe please sign up here!

The finalists for the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards, now in its 13th year, were announced in PW Children’s Bookshelf on August 11.

Seven finalists in each of four categories will be voted on by kids and teens across the country from September 14 to November 15 online — voting link to come.

A video series, in partnership with KidLit TV, featuring the finalist and their creators will be released in October and brand new downloadable activities will be available soon!

See this year’s finalists below and encourage the kids in your care to read the books and get ready to voice their choice this fall.

Kindergarten – 2nd Grade Book of the Year

• Babysitter from Another Planet. Written and illustrated by Stephen Savage. (Holiday House / Neal Porter Books)
• Bear Came Along. By Richard T. Morris. Illus. LeUyen Pham. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
• The Good Egg. By Jory John. Illus. Pete Oswald. (HarperCollins)
• I Am a Tiger. By Karl Newson. Illus. Ross Collins. (Scholastic)
• I Am Love: A Book of Compassion. By Susan Verde and Peter Reynolds (Abrams Books for Young Readers)
• No Place Like Home. Written and illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh. (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)
• The Perfect Sofa. Written and illustrated by Fifi Kuo (Little Bee Books)

3rd – 4th Grade Book of the Year

• Chapter Two Is Missing. By Josh Lieb. (Penguin / Razorbill)
• The Immortal Jellyfish. Written and illustrated by Sang Miao. (Nobrow /Flying Eye Books)
• The Karate Kid. By John G. Avildsen, Kim Smith, Robert Mark Kamen. Illus. Kim Smith. (Quirk Books)
• Mr. Posey’s New Glasses. By Ted Kooser. Illus. Daniel Duncan. (Candlewick Press)
• Science You Can Eat: 20 Activities that Put Food Under the Microscope. By Stefan Gates. (DK)
• The Seekers. By Hari Panicker & Deepti Nair. (Random House / Alfred A. Knopf BFYR)
• Undefeated. By Kwame Alexander. Illus. Kadir Nelson. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / Versify)

5th – 6th Grade Book of the Year

• Earth. By Steve Jenkins. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers)
• Guts. By Raina Telgemeier. (Scholastic / Graphix)
• Hicotea. Written and illustrated by Lorena Alvarez. (Nobrow / Flying Eye Books)
• Pandora’s Legacy. By Bones Leopard. Illus. Kelly Matthews and Nichole Matthews. (BOOM! Studios / KaBOOM!)
• Pilu of the Woods. Written and illustrated by Mai K. Nguyen. (Oni Press)
• Rising Water: The Story of the Thai Cave Rescue. By Marc Aronson. (Simon & Schuster / Atheneum BFYR)
• Survivors of the Holocaust: True Stories of Six Extraordinary Children. Edited by Kath Shackleton. Illus. Zane Whittingham. (Sourcebooks eXplore)

Teen Book of the Year

• Are You Listening? Written and illustrated by Tillie Walden. (Macmillan Children’s / First Second)
• Beast Rider. By Tony Johnston & Maria Elena Fontanot De Rhoads (ABRAMS / Amulet)
• The Field Guide to the North American Teenager. By Ben Phillippe. (HarperCollins / Balzer + Bray)
• Frankly in Love. By David Yoon. (Penguin / G.P. Putnam’s Sons BFYR)
• It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime. By Trevor Noah. (Random House / Delacorte BFYR)
• Mirror, Mirror: A Twisted Tale. By Jen Calonita. (Disney Book Group / Hyperion)
• Watch Us Rise. By Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan. (Bloomsbury YA)

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About the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards

The Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards are the only national book awards voted on solely by kids and teens. Launched in 2008 by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, the awards provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them. Finalists titles are determined through the Children’s Choices and Young Adults’ Choices programs in partnership with the International Literacy Association.

The Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader stand with the entire Black community against racism and violence. We stand with black authors, illustrators, readers, educators, librarians, booksellers, and our publishing colleagues.

We have and will continue to support diversity in children’s publishing through partner organizations, the sharing of resources, and the amplification of diverse voices. We are recommitting ourselves to the hard work of learning, supporting, and being a part of the change needed in this world.

There is great value in connecting this and the next generation with books that highlight the incredible diversity of our world and tackle the tough subjects of race, discrimination, and anti-racism. As we continue to create and share resources and amplify those of others, we pledge to listen and learn ourselves.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York , NY – May 4, 2020 – Every Child a Reader and the Children’s Book Council are proud to partner with Epic on a free children’s book collection in honor of the 101st Children’s Book Week, May 4-10. These books for all ages exemplify this year’s Book Week slogan, Read. Dream. Share. The collection will feature 3-5 books for every grade level, pre-K to 6th, including audiobooks and e-books in a range of genres, formats, and topics.

Shaina Birkhead, Associate Executive Director of CBC and Every Child a Reader, said, “We saw how much Epic was doing to promote reading and listening during this time, making books more accessible to kids at home, and are thrilled to highlight more beloved book creators through this collection. We invite young people everywhere to join in the celebration of Children’s Book Week by diving into one of these great books.”

Through Epic’s Remote Student Access Promotion their entire collection of 40,000 books is currently free for kids to access by teacher invitation until June 30. Parents can register for a free 30-day trial. More resources for Children’s Book Week and for lots of other books, from a free coloring book to original videos, can be found by following #BookWeek2020atHome or going to EveryChildaReader.net.

Author/illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh’s beautiful Children’s Book Week official bookmark art perfectly highlights the theme of this collection. “‘Read. Dream. Share’ is a call to action, inviting children to explore new worlds, people, places and ideas through books. I’m happy to partner with Every Child a Reader and Epic in celebration of Children’s Book Week to encourage kids to see the world in new ways” says Tonatiuh. 

About Epic!
Designed for unlimited discovery and unmatched safety, Epic is the leading digital learning playground for kids. With tens of thousands of high-quality books, audiobooks and videos from the world’s best publishers, Epic reaches more than 20 million kids. No inappropriate content, ads or in-app purchases. Always free for educators. The successful Epic! Originals book series, enjoyed by millions of young readers, is now available in both digital and print formats. Learn more at getepic.com or follow us on social @epic4kids @epic4educators

About Children’s Book Week 
Celebrating its 101^st anniversary, this longest running literacy initiative in the United States is administered by the Children’s Book Council and its 501c3 charitable arm, Every Child a Reader, which also sponsors national programs such as Get Caught Reading, the Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards, and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, in cooperation with the Library of Congress. Children’s Book Week is celebrated each year during May and November.

Media Contacts
Amber Harrison, Epic!, amber@getepic.com

Shaina Birkhead, Every Child a Reader, shaina.birkhead@cbcbooks.org 

Tune in for a virtual reading of the winning title….

New York, NY – May 1, 2020 – Penguin Young Readers, the Children’s Book Council, and Every Child a Reader are proud to announce that Thank You, Omu!, written and illustrated by Oge Mora (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), is the winner of the fourth annual Anna Dewdney Read Together Award.

This award is 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.

Oge Mora graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration. When not painting in her studio, Oge is in the kitchen cooking her late grandmother’s recipes. Her first picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent illustrator award winner, an Ezra Jack Keats illustrator award winner, a New York Times Notable Book and Editors’ Choice, and a Junior Library Guild selection. Her second picture book, Saturday, received five starred reviews and was on a half-dozen best-of-the-year lists. She has also illustrated The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard. Oge lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and she invites you to visit her website at www.ogemora.com.

As we all take recommended measures to keep loved ones safe, Children’s Book Week (May 4-10) will not be able to be celebrated in the traditional sense. We hope you still join us in celebration online, and we encourage participants to share what they’re doing to celebrate books, creators, and readers by tagging their posts with #BookWeek2020AtHome. 

Due to this change, we hope you join Oge Mora’s live stream read-aloud event of her winning title, Thank You, Omu! on May 8th at 3:00pm EST on the Every Child a Reader Facebook Page. This will be one of many virtual readings and events taking place during Children’s Book Week (May 4-10). We look forward to celebrating in recognition of Mora receiving the Anna Dewdney Read Together Award across many miles and households.

The Honor Books for 2020 are: Alma and How She Got her Name, written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal (Candlewick); Everybody Says Meow, written and illustrated by Constance Lombardo (HarperCollins); Love is Kind, by Laura Sassi; illus. by Lison Chaperon (Zonderkidz); Made For Me, by Zack Bush; illus. by Gregorio De Lauretis (Workman, Familius); and Welcome Little One, written and illustrated by Sandra Magsamen (Sourcebooks).

Mora will be awarded a prize of $1,000 from the Children’s Book Council and Penguin will purchase and donate 250 copies of Thank You, Omu to a school, library, or literacy organization of her choice.

The winner and honor books were chosen by voting over the last two months by librarians, teachers, and booksellers across America.

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. Llama Llama Loves to Read was released in May 2018. She was also the author/illustrator of Little Excavator, 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 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, Kokila, Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Workshop, Philomel, Puffin, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Viking, Razorbill, and Frederick Warne. These imprints are home to such award-winning, New York Times- bestselling authors as, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jan Brett, Eric Carle, Roald Dahl, Anna Dewdney, John Flanagan, John Green, Oliver Jeffers, Mike Lupica, Ransom Riggs, Ruta Sepetys, Sabaa Tahir, Jacqueline Woodson, and dozens of other popular authors. Penguin Young Readers is also the proud publisher of perennial brand franchises such as The Little Engine That Could, the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, Peter Rabbit, Spot, the Classic Winnie the Pooh, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Madeline, Mad Libs, The Last Kids on Earth, the Rangers Apprentice, and Pippi Longstocking, among many others. Penguin Young Readers Group is a division of Penguin Random House.

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 major national programs include: Children’s Book Week, celebrating 100 years this year; the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards; Get Caught Reading; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress.

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Penguin Contact:

Shanta Newlin, Vice President, Executive Director, Publicity & Corporate Communications, Penguin Young Readers

snewlin@prh.com

Siena Koncsol, Associate Director of Publicity, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

 

Siena.Koncsol@hbgusa.com

CBC/Every Child a Reader Contact:

Carl Lennertz, Executive Director, The Children’s Book Council

 

carl.lennertz@cbcbooks.org 

Join us for the 101st Children’s Book Week, May 4-10! We invite everyone to celebrate with us at home and online using #BookWeek2020atHome.

This celebration honors children’s books, readers, and book creators. It is all about connecting over books and that can be done anytime, anywhere.

In addition to our yearly resources, including the official poster and bookmarks with accompanying activities, we have created new resources this year to support librarians, teachers, and booksellers who are finding creative and inspiring ways to connect with their communities, as well as families at home.

• Virtual and at home celebration ideas
• Coloring pages by 23 children’s book artists
• And more to come!

During Children’s Book Week follow #BookWeek2020atHome to find videos, live virtual events from book creators, resources, and celebration ideas from libraries and local bookstores. And use it to let us know how you are celebrating from wherever you are!

See all the details of our re-imagined celebration at PW Children’s Bookshelf.