Festivities for the 2019 Children’s Book Week [6] will begin on Monday, April 29, and continue through Sunday, May 5. This year’s theme, in honor of the event’s 100th anniversary, is “Read Now. Read Forever,” and looks to the past, present, and future of the fun and enriching experience that is children’s and young adult books.

(Poster designed by Yuyi Morales)

Locations and details for over 2,500 events being held during Children’s Book Week at independent bookstores, schools, and libraries are available on an online map on the Every Child a Reader website [6]. Event kits, activity pages in a dozen languages, a poetry bookmark, and more are available to Children's Book Week participants in the CBW toolkit online [7]. More resources are available here [8].

Coinciding with this year’s Children’s Book Week is the voting period for the 12th annual Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards [9], sponsored by the nonprofit literacy organization Every Child a Reader [10]. Children and teens across the country are invited to vote at EveryChildaReader.net/vote [11] and in schools, bookstores, and libraries around the country until June 2, 2019.

The winners will be chosen from a list of 20 finalists [12]: five in each of the three Children’s Choice Book Awards categories — K–2nd grades, 3rd–4th grades, and 5th–6th grades — and five in the Teen Book of the Year category. 

To help booksellers promote voting, Every Child a Reader and the Children’s Book Council [13] is offering an array of resources, including press release templates, website banners, logos, sample social media posts, e-mail signatures, and more.

Signup for all schools, libraries, and bookstores for the spring week of celebration is now closed. More information about Fall Children’s Book Week, taking place November 4-10, will be available soon. Watch Bookselling This Week for updates.