Voting for Children’s, Teen Choice Book Awards Wraps Up April 25

Children and teens voting to select the winners of the ninth annual Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards must cast their votes by April 25 on ccbookawards.com or in participating bookstores, schools, and libraries around the country. The winners will be announced during Children’s Book Week, May 2–8.

Through April 25, booksellers can use the digital toolkit provided by the Children’s Book Council (CBC) to encourage voting. The kit includes website badges, logos, e-mail signatures, sample social media posts, “Cast your vote” banners, “I voted” stickers, and printable ballots.

To further engage kids in the voting process, author Jon Scieszka, the former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, teamed with KidLit TV to create a short video asking young readers to get out and vote for the Children’s Choice Book Awards. See the full video below.

Booksellers should also be making plans to celebrate Children’s Book Week by participating in an in-store display contest sponsored by CBC and Every Child a Reader in partnership with the ABC Children’s Group at ABA.

Booksellers are invited to create in-store or window displays that highlight the Children’s Book Week theme of celebrating books and reading. The displays must be up from April 30 to May 8 to be considered.

The winning bookstore will earn a visit from a winner or finalist of the 2016 Children’s Choice Book Awards, as well as coverage in the Children’s Book Council’s Update newsletter,  in ABA’s Bookselling This Week, and in social media posts and on bookweekonline.com.

Booksellers are encouraged to incorporate this year’s Children’s Book Week poster, designed by author and illustrator Brian Won, into their displays. Booksellers can request up to 25 copies of the poster at no cost other than shipping. The poster is also in ABA’s April Red Box mailing. Children’s Book Week posters from the past 96 years are all available for order from CafePress.

Displays will be judged on their uniqueness and creativity, their use of space, and their eye-catching appeal. Pictures of displays, along with a photo credit, must be submitted to ABC Children’s Group Manager Matthew Zoni by May 6.

Additional ideas for celebrating Children’s Book Week can be found on the event’s Booksellers Page.

Watch for Children’s Book Week updates on Twitter, Facebook, and Bookweekonline.com, as well as in BTW.