Children’s Institute Breakout Session Presenters Announced

Registration list now available to bookseller attendees

The ABC Children’s Institute’s six breakout sessions will feature an outstanding lineup of booksellers, authors, publishing professionals, university professors, and librarians, who will offer insights on everything ranging from expanding author events and managing successful bookfairs to selling picture books in the wake of age compression and engaging customers through the use of social media.

All breakout sessions will be presented on Tuesday, April 7, at the Children’s Institute’s host hotel, The Doubletree by Hilton, Downtown San Antonio.

For session descriptions, rooms, and times, as well as the full list of plenary speakers, visit BookWeb.org/ci2014.

Children’s Institute session presenters announced today are:

Managing Successful Bookfairs In-Store and Off-Site

• Sarah Holt, children’s and teen specialist at Left Bank Books (St. Louis, MO)
• Claudia Maceo, owner of The Twig Book Shop (San Antonio, TX)
• Mary Milligan, librarian at St. Luke’s Episcopal School (San Antonio, TX) and an officer of the Texas Library Association’s Children’s Roundtable
• Heidi Powell, children’s manager at Politics & Prose (Washington, DC)
• Moderator: Sarah Bagby, owner of Watermark Books (Wichita, KS)

Selling Picture Books in the Wake of Age Compression

• Elizabeth Bluemle, co-owner of Flying Pig Bookstore (Shelburne, VT)
• Marianne Follis, Ph.D, senior librarian at Valley Ranch Library (Irving, TX) and former member of the American Library Association Newbery Award selection committee
• Maureen Palacios, owner of Once Upon a Time (Montrose, CA)
• Ann Seaton, manager of Hicklebee’s (San Jose, CA)
• Moderator: Valerie Koehler, owner of Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX)

Expanding Your Author Events: In-Store and in the Classroom

• Jennifer Corcoran, director of publicity at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Heather Hebert, owner of Children’s Book World (Haverford, PA)
• Amy Oelkers, event coordinator at Red Balloon Bookshop (St. Paul, MN)
• Jason Wells, executive director of publicity and marketing at Abrams Books for Young Readers
• Moderator: Suzanna Hermans, owner of Oblong Books and Music (Rhinebeck and Millerton, NY)

Graduate Level Education on Child Development & Literacy

• Dr. Susan Keehn, graduate professor in early literacy at the University of Texas in San Antonio, a former elementary school teacher, and an International Reading Association-recognized Outstanding Teacher Educator
• Tess Riesmeyer, young reader’s coordinator at Penguin Bookshop (Sewickley, PA) and a children’s literature instructor at the University of Pittsburgh

How to Host a Successful Teacher Night

• Becky Anderson, owner of Anderson’s Bookshop (Naperville, IL)
• Kirsten Hess, owner of Let’s Play Books! (Emmaus, PA)
• Lauren Savage, owner of The Reading Bug (San Carlos, CA)

Breakout session presenters previously announced:

Engaging Your Audience Through Social Media: A Conversation With Austin Kleon

• Julie Wernersbach, publicity manager at BookPeople (Austin, TX)
• Austin Kleon, bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work! (Workman) and a keynote speaker at the 2014 SXSW Interactive Festival

ABA members with a BookWeb user name and password can now download an Excel spreadsheet of Children’s Institute bookseller attendees, grouped by store name.

Registration for the Children’s Institute is closed. Registered booksellers who are no longer planning to attend are asked to contact ABC Group Manager Matthew Zoni. The Children’s Institute registration fee is nonrefundable.