Specialty Bookselling

The ABC Children’s Group at ABA is inviting all member booksellers to submit title recommendations by June 30 for its newly renamed catalog, “ABC Best Books for Young Readers.”

Based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending May 3, 2015.

At last month’s Children’s Institute, three booksellers with extensive in-store birthday party programs led a discussion on how to get started and what book themes, activities, and packages to offer.

The 96th annual celebration of Children’s Book Week began on Monday, May 4, and was highlighted by the presentation of the Children’s Choice Book Awards at an evening gala in New York City hosted by Jon Scieszka.

Programming for children’s booksellers at BEA includes the ABFE Art Auction, the Children’s Book & Author Breakfast, YA and Middle Grade Editors’ Buzz panels, Speed Dating Lunch With Children’s Book Authors, Tea With Children’s Book Authors & Illustrators, and more.

Children’s book sales hit a record high last year, and independent booksellers continue to serve an important role in that market, said Kristen McLean, the founder and CEO of Bookigee, during the ABC Children’s Institute featured talk “The U.S. Children’s Book Market — Where We Are and Where We’re Going.”

Author Jewell Parker Rhodes delivered a stirring closing keynote speech at the ABC Children’s Institute last week, earning a standing ovation for her talk on the importance of diversity in children’s literature. “I do believe that in not seeing myself in books, I almost missed my calling as a writer,” Rhodes shared.

This week, approximately 190 booksellers converged in Pasadena for the 2015 ABC Children’s Institute. The packed schedule included education sessions on topics from birthday parties to story times, and presentations from authors such as Jeff Kinney, Marla Frazee, and Jewell Parker Rhodes.

Based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending April 19, 2015.

This weekend, 11 independent booksellers will be exhibiting at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, to be held at the University of Southern California just prior to the ABC Children’s Institute.

Booksellers planning to enter this year’s Children’s Book Week Display Contest, sponsored by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader in partnership with the ABC Children’s Group at ABA, must mount their displays from April 30 to May 10.

ABA Membership and Marketing Officer Meg Smith provides a fun look at highlights of the ABC Children’s Institute, which kicks off on Sunday in Pasadena, California.

Kristen McLean, founder and CEO of data and analytics company Bookigee, will share the statistics and studies behind today’s thriving children’s book market during a featured talk at this month’s Children’s Institute.

Based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending April 5, 2015.

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