Children’s Book Week Celebrations Underway

Children’s Book Week kicked off Monday night at a gala celebrating the winners of the 2012 Children’s Choice Book Awards, hosted by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, at Espace in Manhattan. More than 900,000 votes were cast by children across the country to choose their favorite books, author, and illustrator. Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (Amulet Books/Abrams), and Brian Selznick, author and illustrator of Wonderstruck (Scholastic), took home the awards for Author of the Year and Illustrator of the Year, respectively.

The night’s other winners included:

• Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year: Three Hens and a Peacock, by Lester L. Laminack, illustrated by Henry Cole (Peachtree)

• Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year: Bad Kitty Meets the Baby, by Nick Bruel (Neal Porter/Roaring Brook)

• Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year: Okay for Now, by Gary D. Schmidt (Clarion/HMH)

• Teen Book of the Year: Clockwork Prince: The Infernal Devices, Book Two, by Cassandra Clare (Margaret K. McElderry Books/S&S)

Bookstores around the country are celebrating Children’s Book Week with in-store events, many featuring children’s authors and illustrators. The Children’s Book Week website and the CBW Facebook page provide a peek at some of the celebrations.

Beginning tonight, Thursday, May 10, Harleysville Books, in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, has a weekend lineup of storytime and author events, including visits from Debbie Dadey and Michael Buckley. Harleysville also sponsored a Cover Art Contest for children 13 and under, who were asked to create an original piece of art that redesigned one of their favorite book covers. A reception will be held on Saturday for members of the community to view the art and celebrate the winners.

This week, Nebraska’s Bookworm of Omaha is encouraging customers to say thank you and good bye to Maurice Sendak by picking up a book and reading to someone they love. The store is hosting local authors all week and on Saturday will feature Ted Kooser reading from his newest picture book. Bookworm is also giving away tote bags and posters with the Children’s Book Week image free to customers at readings while supplies last.

The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid, New York, is sponsoring a contest that asks children to color scenes from their favorite books. Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, New York, hosted a Hudson Valley YA Society event, featuring authors Meg Wolitzer, Kate Klimo, and Sarah Darer Littman.

The Children’s Bookstore in Baltimore, Maryland, hosted writing workshops for various age groups. “They were terrific,” said owner JoAnn Fruchtman, who said the participants played word games and and were led by enthusiastic booksellers. The children wrote in journals, discussed their favorite writers, and asked for advice about what they had written. “They all wanted to do it again, so we will!” said Fruchtman.