Scholastic Sponsors a Contest to Celebrate Main Street

Does your town love its Main Street? Starting May 2, Scholastic Inc. and the American Booksellers Association will offer a way for your town to prove it -- and a chance for participants to win a Main Street spending spree. Scholastic and ABA are partnering to bring the Main Street Contest -- an essay contest for children -- to Book Sense bookstores. Essays should answer the question "Why Is Your Town's Main Street Special?" The promotion will center on Newbery Honoree and bestselling author Ann M. Martin's new series, Main Street.

"In her new series, Main Street, Ann Martin celebrates the strength of families, friendships, and community," said Lisa Holton, president of Scholastic Trade and Book Fairs. "We can't think of a better way to promote Main Street than to partner with independent booksellers across America to inspire kids to support their local communities."

"ABA is very excited to be involved in the launch of Ann M. Martin's Main Street series," said Mark Nichols, director of Book Sense Marketing, "both in celebration of the publication of new titles from a beloved and trusted author -- as well as providing a wonderful way to reinforce to a new generation of readers the concept of 'shopping local,' and the importance of supporting independent businesses in their own community."

The first book of Martin's series, Welcome to Camden Falls, will be published May 1. An audio edition will be arriving in stores in May. The novel follows the lives of Flora and Ruby Northrop, orphans who balk at moving to live with their grandmother in Camden Falls, Massachusetts, but gradually explore the New England town's Main Street, including its many unique and independently owned stores, and find daily life there "enchanting."

Further details about the Main Street contest, along with marketing materials, will be arriving in a special mailing to all booksellers who are on the White Box mailing list. The promotional materials include display tent cards with contest information, color fliers for distribution, and Main Street pins. Scholastic and the ABA would like to encourage Book Sense stores to distribute extra contest materials that will be included in the White Box mailing to other independent, non-books retailers, to truly make this a community event.

The contest will run from May 2 through July 2, 2007 and is open to children ages six through 12. Acceptable submissions include a written essay (300 words or less), a video essay (3 minutes or less), a collage, a photograph, a drawing, or a painting. The essay should address the following themes: Why is Your Town's Main Street Special? Is it the extraordinary people, the unique stores, or something more? Give the name of your town's main street and describe why it's special to you and your town.

Participating stores should collect all entries and submit their five "semi-finalists" by July 31, 2007, to Scholastic, which will partner with ABA and Ann M. Martin to select the winners. All semi-finalists will receive a voucher for book #3, 'Tis the Season, coming in the fall. One grand-prize winner will receive a $500 Main Street shopping spree, a signed copy of Welcome to Camden Falls, and their entry will be posted to the Main Street website. Four runner-up winners will receive a $100 Main Street shopping spree, a signed copy of Welcome to Camden Falls, and their entries will also be posted to the Main Street website. Moreover, the store where the winning entry is submitted will receive a visit from Ann M. Martin.

For more information, an introduction to Ruby and Flora, and a look into Camden Falls, visit www.Scholastic.com/mainstreet.

Badge Holder

In addition, at this year's BEA, Scholastic is the official badge-holder sponsor. Badges featuring the Main Street logo will be distributed to all BEA attendees.

Also, Scholastic, in conjunction with the ABA, is throwing a Block Party celebrating Main Street. The event will take place from 9:00 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday, May 30, at Hotel ABA, the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge.