Kids’ Institute: “Some of Our Favorite Things” and Focused Roundtables

The secrets behind successful programs for children at several indie bookstores will be on display during the American Booksellers Association’s ABC Children’s Institute on Wednesday, June 6, at BookExpo America.

At the 5:00 p.m. knowledge-sharing fair, “Some of Our Favorite Things,” six children’s booksellers will present best practices through creative displays, including posters, pictures, and handouts.  A member of the ABA staff will also be on hand to demo materials from the Indiebound Non-Book Vendor Box, which is shipping to stores in ABA’s Red Box mailing in early June.

Before the Favorite Things session, booksellers can preview the displays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday in Room 1E06 of the Javits Convention Center.  The bookseller-presenters will be available for one-on-one consultations from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.  

 “Some of Our Favorite Things” topics and presenters are:

• Literacy Outreach to New Parents, presented by Carol Chittenden of Eight Cousins in Falmouth, Massachusetts
• Building Book Fairs in a Box, presented by Cynthia Compton of 4 Kids Books & Toys in Zionsville, Indiana
• Summer Camps, presented by Diane Capriola of Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia
• Adopting a School in Need, presented by Ellen Mager of Booktenders’ Secret Garden Children’s Bookstore and Gallery in Doylestown, Pennsylvania
• Advanced Readers Program, presented by Kaley DeGoursey of  R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, Connecticut
• Supporting Young Writers, presented by Lauren Peugh of  Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Book Shop in LaVerne, California
• What’s New in Non-Book?, presented by ABA Staff

Also from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the Institute, ABA members can participate in any of six focused roundtable discussions. Prior to the Institute, booksellers are asked to prepare to discuss by downloading and reviewing the appropriate roundtable handout.

Roundtable topics and presenters are:

Room 1E09:

• Building Relationships with Teen Bloggers, moderated by Maggie Tokuda-Hall of California’s Books, Inc.
   (Download Teen Bloggers Roundtable handout.)
• How to Sell a Wordless Picture Book, moderated by Marika McCoola of Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Massachusetts
  (Download Picture Book Roundtable handout.)
• Navigating the Dialogue: Content and YA, moderated by Becky Quiroga Curtis of Florida’s Books & Books
  (Download Content and YA Roundtable handout.)

Room 1E10:

• Building Successful Story Times, moderated by Katie McGinley of Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis
  (Download Story Times Roundtable handout.)
• How to Host Awesome Authorless Events, moderated by Suzanna Hermans of Oblong Books and Music in Rhinebeck, New York
  (Download the Authorless Events Roundtable handout.)
• Buying and Selling Non-Book Merchandise, moderated by Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona
  (Download the Non-Book Roundtable handout.)

Children’s Institute education sessions are open to all ABA members without charge. ABA member booksellers interested in attending the full-day Institute, including special ticketed events, can add their names to a waiting list via a form on the Institute website. The event is currently booked to capacity.

Tickets are still available for the Children’s Art Auction benefiting the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression.  They are $95 ($75 for bookseller members of the ABC Children’s Group) and can be purchased here. Tickets purchased onsite will be $105 ($85 for ABC booksellers).

Tickets for the Children’s Breakfast can be purchased directly through BEA.