Joining in a Celebration of Children's Book Week

I love children’s books, from picture books to young adult, and have a wide collection—old and new and in between. I love any opportunity to celebrate their value and the enjoyment they bring!

This week is National Children’s Book Week and events have been going on all across the country. Teachers, librarians, parents and publishers have been involved—not to mention authors and illustrators. The Los Angeles Public Library system scheduled events in 21 of its libraries. I presented Signed, Abiah Rose at the Studio City Library and had a lovely time meeting with librarians, parents, book lovers and, of course, children!

Children’s Book Week has had a long tradition. A gentleman named Frederick K. Matthews—the librarian for the Boy Scouts of America—first proposed the idea in 1913. The plan to celebrate children’s books came to the attention of prominent publishers, bookstore owners and librarians and by 1919 it was celebrated all across the United States. In the 1940s the Children’s Book Council took over the responsibility for the planning and promotion of the week’s events and today Every Child a Reader is in charge. Hurray for children’s books—not just for one week but every day of the year!