Nominations for ABC Best Books for Young Readers Catalog Now Open

This year, the ABC Children’s Group will be updating how it curates and accepts nominations for the annual Best Books for Young Readers Catalog. The new catalog will feature titles nominated by American Booksellers Association bookstore members as well as titles nominated by publishers.

Titles included in the 2021 Best Books for Young Readers catalog will be broken down as follows:

• 75 percent will be titles nominated by ABA bookstore members, as submitted through Edelweiss and BookWeb.org and selected by a committee of booksellers
• 25 percent will be titles nominated by publishers

Each section will be curated to highlight the best of what indies are excited to hand-sell in 2021. Bookseller-nominated titles included in the catalog will feature blurbs written by a nominating bookseller.

Booksellers can now submit their nomination using Edelweiss. Just as a bookseller would nominate for the Indie Next List, they can also nominate children’s titles for the ABC Catalog — just click the ABC Catalog box under “Review” and save. Booksellers may also continue to nominate using the webform available on Bookweb.org.

Take a look at where the ABC Catalog button is in the image below:

The ABC Group will resume printing hard copies of the Best Books for Young Readers catalog this year. Current ABC Group members can expect to receive 250 free copies of the finished catalog. All ABA members will have the opportunity to order the catalog to stock in their stores. The order form will open later this summer.

If you are a children’s bookseller interested in joining the 2021 catalog title selection committee, email ABC Group Manager Gen de Botton by Tuesday, April 20; booksellers are asked to submit their name, store information, and role.

The Best Books for Young Readers catalog continues to be committed to ABA’s mission of including #OwnVoices stories and titles that champion a diverse, inclusive, and equitable world for readers of all ages. Children’s booksellers who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, and/or disabled are strongly encouraged to join the selection committee.

Information about time commitment and participation will be shared after April 20. Watch Bookselling This Week for details.