Ci5 Updates: ABC Group Member Raffle, Backlist Book Swap, Bookstore Tours

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version

The 2017 ABC Children’s Institute (Ci5) is just four weeks away, taking place April 5–7 at the Red Lion Hotel on the River – Jantzen Beach in Portland, Oregon. Here are some important updates and reminders:

Elephant & Piggie spinner rackExclusive Ci5 Raffle for ABC Group Members

All ABC Children’s Group members attending next month’s Children’s Institute will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win signed author posters from the April 6 Author Reception. Nearly 50 autographed posters from authors attending the reception will be up for grabs.

In addition, one grand prize winner will take home a new Elephant & Piggie spinner rack, courtesy of Disney. The spinner, which will come complete with a set of titles from the Elephant & Piggie series by Mo Willems, is a new promotion created to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the beloved characters this spring. Booksellers will be able to get a peek at the spinner at the ABA Welcome Desk outside the Grand Ballroom on Thursday and Friday, April 6 and 7.

The drawing will take place during the Breakfast Keynote with Jason Reynolds on Friday, April 7, at 7:45 a.m.

ABA members who would like to be included in the drawing but are not current with their ABC Children’s Group membership can contact Member Relationship Manager Catherine Cusick via e-mail or at (800) 637-0037, ext. 7566.

Share Your Pick Now for the Backlist Book Swap

Children’s Institute kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, with a Welcome Reception and Backlist Book Swap Party at Powell’s City of Books in downtown Portland. The event is open to all Ci5 attendees.

Participants who come with a copy of a favorite children’s, middle grade, or young adult book to share with friends and colleagues will leave with someone else’s favorite. Ci5 attendees who are planning to participate in the Book Swap are asked to let ABA know in advance what title they will be bringing.

Titles selected for the Backlist Book Swap should be at least five years old and still be in print. The giver should also include a bookmark with their contact information, so the person who picks up the book knows who recommended it.

Because this year’s Backlist Book Swap is taking place at Powell’s Books, attendees who wish to participate but did not plan ahead will have the chance to purchase their pick from Powell’s shelves prior to the party. Booksellers and publishers participating in the full- or half-day bookstore tours in the Portland area will also have the opportunity to pick up a book ahead of the swap.

Limited Space Available for Portland Indie Bookstores Tours

Booksellers, publishers, and authors can sign up now for full-day and half-day tours of Portland area indie bookstores, to take place on Wednesday, April 5, ahead of the Welcome Reception and Backlist Book Swap Party. The cost of the full-day tour is $35 per person, and the half-day tour is $25 per person.

The full-day tour will depart at 9:45 a.m. from the Red Lion Hotel on the River and will visit Annie Bloom’s Books, Another Read Through, Art of STEM Books, Broadway Books, Green Bean Books, MudPuddles Toys & Books, and Powell’s City of Books.

The half-day tour will depart at 12:45 p.m. from the Red Lion Hotel on the River and will visit A Children’s Place, Broadway Books, Green Bean Books, Powell’s City of Books, and Vintage Books.

The last stop on both tours will be Powell’s City of Books, the site of the Welcome Reception and Backlist Book Swap Party and a Meet-and-Greet for scholarship winners and their publisher sponsors.

Register now for the full- or half-day bookstore tours.


See the complete Ci5 program here. The 2017 Children’s Institute is made possible by the support of lead sponsor Baker & Taylor with additional support from publisher sponsors large and small. Booksellers looking to attend Children’s Institute are encouraged to register as soon as possible, as the institute is nearing capacity.