Title Suggestions Sought for Fall Best Books for Children Catalog

The ABC Children’s Group at ABA is seeking indie booksellers’ title recommendations for the fall 2011 Best Books for Children Catalog, the premier consumer catalog for the children’s book industry, which will be available for distribution by all ABA member bookstores. The deadline for submissions is Friday, July 1.

The full-color, 20-page consumer circular, to be distributed in early fall, will feature more than 250 fully vetted frontlist and backlist titles, including award winners and critically acclaimed titles, all suggested by ABA member booksellers. The catalog will include books published between January and October 2011 and will not include holiday titles.

All title suggestions should be sent via e-mail to abccatalog@bookweb.org [1]. Recommendations should include as much bibliographic information (title, author, ISBN, publisher, price, age range, format, pub date) as possible. A short blurb in support of the book is welcome, but not necessary.

The fall Best Books for Children Catalog will take the place of the fall 2011 and winter 2011 - 2012 Kids’ Indie Next Lists. (Kids’ Indie Next List picks sent via e-mail [2] or the electronic nomination form on BookWeb.org [2] will also used to create the catalog list.)

All ABC Children’s Group at ABA member stores will automatically receive 250 copies of the catalog at no charge. All other ABA member stores will receive 50 copies at no charge. (Booksellers who missed the opportunity to join the ABC Children’s Group at the time of their ABA membership renewal, or who are unsure of their status, should contact ABA Member Relationship Manager Kaitlin Pitcher [3].)

In addition, ABC Children’s Group at ABA member stores are eligible to receive up to 5,000 copies of the catalog for only the price of shipping. Additional copies will be available for a modest fee. ABC Children’s Group at ABA members may also order custom imprinted catalogs at a nominal plate charge. A special catalog order form will be available soon.

All other ABA member stores may also order additional quantities of the catalog, either plain or imprinted. For rates and details, contact ABA Industry Relations Assistant Carolyn Bennett. [4]

The fall catalog cover, which was chosen by the ABC Advisory Council, will feature artwork by Judy Schachner from her new book, Skippyjon Jones: Class Action, to be published in July by Dutton.