Children's Book Week started in 1919, which makes this its 90th anniversary! Traditionally, it was celebrated the week before Thanksgiving, but recently it was moved to May instead (all the better to have a book picnic!).
It's just a coincidence, of course, but I think it's neat that author Richard Scarry was born in 1919, the same year that Children's Book Week started. His masterpiece Best Word Book Ever was one of my favorite bedtime stories as a toddler (much to my parents' dismay -- it's a loooong book!).
If you're looking to rediscover children's classics as old as the Children's Book Week tradition, you could start with the Bobbsey Twins series (which began in 1904). But if you're nostalgic for more modern classics, why not rediscover your favorite Robert Munsch books? (I never get sick of Murmel, Murmel, Murmel -- which one speaks to you the loudest?)
Head over to www.bookweekonline.com to explore all the ways you can share your love of reading: go to a book event, download and print bookmarks, vote for your favorite books for children and young adults, stage a read-in, and more!
And I hope that some of you will make some time for your very own book picnic this week! All you need is good food, good friends (and family!), and good books!
