Children's Book Week - November 13 -19, 2006

Children's Book Week has been celebrated during the week before Thanksgiving since 1919. This special week for educators, librarians (media specialists), booksellers, and families brings the love of reading and the importance of books to the forefront of our busy lives. Children's Book Week can be celebrated with book parties, storytelling, author and illustrator interviews and appearances, and other book events.

The history of Children's Book Week goes back to the 1912 American Booksellers Association (ABA) Convention. It stems from an article written by E.W. Mumford, of the Penn Publishing Company regarding his concern for better books for children. This article caught the attention of James West, Director of the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. West approached Franklin K. Mathiews, librarian for the Scouts, indicating that the Scouts should take the initiative in promoting better standards for boys' reading.

Mr. Mathiews worked from 1913 to 1915 touring the country encouraging higher standards in children's books. His work led him to the 1915 Booksellers Convention where he proposed the creation of a Children's Book Week. His energy and strong believe in the concept convinced booksellers that a Children's Book Week would be good for children's reading and good for their business.

Good Book Week was started in 1916 with the collaboration of the American Booksellers Association, American Library Association, and the Boy Scouts of America. Frederic G. Melcher, the editor of Publishers' Weekly was also a key person in making Good Book Week happen. They used the slogan, "The Best Books for Your Child."

Due to World War I, Book Week was delayed though it was still an important focus for those who started it. The publishing of good children's books continued.

Finally, in 1919 Mr. Mathiews presented the plan for Children's Book Week at the annual American Booksellers Association (ABA) convention. He was invited to speak by Mr. Melcher who was then the secretary of the ABA. The association committed to and approved the organization of Children's Book Week. The slogan of the first Children's Book Week was "More Books in the Homes". The celebration was publicized and promoted which led to a successful Children's Book Week.

The second annual Children's Book Week was organized and promoted by the National Association of Book Publishers. This organization continued in this role until they no longer existed in 1934. The R.R. Bowker Company took over these responsibilities for the next ten years until the demands of the celebration were too much for them.

The Association of Children's Book Editors was formed in 1944. The Association created the Children's Book Council, which oversees Children's Book Week. They work year-round to make children's book publishing and children's books an important part of what we do.

Children's Book Week is crucial this day in age. We need to strive to continue to promote reading and the importance of books in our daily lives. Frederic Melcher's goal is imperative: "Book Week brings us together to talk about books and reading and, out of our knowledge and love of books, to put the cause of children's reading squarely before the whole community and, community by community, across the whole nation. For a great nation is a reading nation."