National Children’s Book Week, the nation’s longest-running literature initiative, is celebrated during the first full week of May each year. Launched by Boy Scouts of America librarian Franklin K. Matthiews, who believed that children’s books and literacy are life changers, the week is marked by events from coast to coast.
National Children’s Book Week is administered by Every Child A Reader. According to their web site, Matthiews began touring the country in 1913 to promote higher standards in children’s books. He proposed creating a Children’s Book Week backed by publishers, booksellers and librarians and sought support from Publishers Weekly editor Frederick G. Melcher and Anne Carroll Moore, superintendent of children’s works at the New york Public Library. With their help, in 1916, the American Booksellers Associaion and the American Library Association sponsored a Good Book Week with the Boy Scouts of America. By 1919, this celebration of children’s books was fully established.
In the Youth Services Department, every day is a celebration of children’s literature and our commitment to provide our customers with the best library experience possible. That commitment shines through in our creative book displays, story times, book clubs and the extensive book lists we compile on a variety of topics. It’s evident, too, when we host the annual Princeton Children’s Book Festival that features prominent, nationally recognized authors and illustrators on Hinds Plaze in September.
Our commitment to our customers also extends to one of our favorite things to do in Youth Services: help find the perfect book for a young reader. Whether your child is a voracious reader, a reluctant reader or someone who wants to explore a new genre, stop up and let us connect them with that next great read!