November 1, 2006

Children’s Book Week set for Nov. 13-19

With literacy rates in the United States decreasing and increasingly larger numbers of students failing to pass reading proficiency exams, the need for Children's Book Week today is as essential as it was upon its beginning in 1919.

“Children’s Book Week brings us together to talk about books and reading and, out of our knowledge and love of books, to put the cause of children's reading squarely before the whole community and, community by community, across the whole nation. For a great nation is a reading nation,” said Frederic Melcher, about Children’s Book Week in 1919.

Today Children’s Book Week introduces young people to authors, illustrators and books in schools, libraries, homes, and bookstores. Through Children’s Book Week, the Children’s Book Council encourages young people and their caregivers to discover the complexity of the world beyond their own experience through books. Children’s Book Week 2006 will be observed Nov.13-19.

The theme for this year’s annual observance is More Books, Please! Jules Feiffer conveys the excitement and energy of books and reading in the official poster of Children’s Book Week. Eric Rohmann, Laura Cornell, Tony DiTerlizzi, and Brian Selznick also created special display materials illustrating this year’s theme.

This year’s poet is Julia Alvarez. Her poem is featured on a bookmark illustrated by Meilo So. All these materials are available for purchase from the Children’s Book Council. The Children’s Book Council also provides a number of free online materials to encourage reading and to enhance community Children’s Book Week celebration.

During Children’s Book Week, children’s books and the love of reading will be observed through storytelling, parties, author and illustrator appearances and other book related events. Communities throughout the United States create their own unique celebrations.

Hicklebees, the famous children’s bookstore on Lincoln Avenue, has two readings planned for the week. On Monday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., Cindy Post Sinning, the great granddaughter of Emily Post, will share her newest picture book on etiquette for children,

And, on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. author and illustrator Nancy Tillman will present her new picture book “On the Night You Were Born.”

To find out about other Children’s Book Week events, contact Hicklebees at (408) 292-8880 or check its Web site at www.hicklebees.com or the San Jose Public Library at www.sjlibrary.org and click on Kidsplace Events.

The Children’s Book Council is a nonprofit trade association that promotes the use and enjoyment of children’s trade books and related literacy materials for young people, and is the official sponsor of Young People’s Poetry Week and Children’s Book Week. The CBC’s membership is made up of U.S. publishers and packagers of trade books for children and young adults, and producers of related literacy materials. Proceeds from the sale of CBC materials help support the Council's literacy efforts.