Children

The National Coalition Against Censorship, on behalf of the Kids’ Right to Read Project, has come out in strong opposition to the Chicago Public School system’s decision to remove the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi from certain district classrooms.

The Annual Children’s Book Art Silent Auction and Reception at BEA to benefit ABFFE will be hosted by Newbery Medal-winner Jack Gantos and Lauren Myracle, whose books top the list of the country’s most challenged titles. Tickets for the event are on sale now.

The Children’s Book Council and the ABC Children’s Group at ABA are inviting booksellers on a tour of children’s illustrators’ studios to give them a behind-the-scenes peek during BEA into the creative lives of today’s top talent. Registration is free and open to ABC Group at ABA bookstore members only.

Egmont USA is handing the reins to independent booksellers to decide which of two cover designs will be featured on The Scar Boys, the upcoming young adult novel by Len Vlahos, ABA’s former COO and current head of the Book Industry Study Group.

Next month, the ABC Children’s Group at ABA will launch “Give Me Summer! Give Me Books!” a national summer reading program for kids that is open to all ABA member bookstores.

A number of resources are available to help booksellers promote voting for the 2013 Children’s Choice Book Awards. New this year is a Children’s Book Week window display contest for indie bookstores, sponsored by CBC and the ABC Children’s Group at ABA.

A February 25 afternoon panel at Winter 8 explored how toy buying, pricing, merchandizing, and marketing differ from norms in the children’s book industry. Panelists also shared some of their favorite finds for 2013.

At the Wi8 breakout session “Nonfiction Buying With Core Curriculum in Mind,” panelists Becky Anderson of Anderson’s Bookshops, Kenny Brechner of Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers, and Richard Buthod of Turtleback Books explained how the new Common Core State Standards are impacting their schools, communities, and nonfiction sales.

Here’s a preview of the Spring 2013 Kids’ Indie Next List flier, arriving at stores in the upcoming Children’s White Box.

The ABC New Voices program is about to kick off for the 2013 publishing year. Under the direction of a committee of 12 independent booksellers, New Voices highlights the top middle grade and young adult debuts of the year for both the summer and fall seasons.