Book Week is a week set aside each year in May to promote the interest of young people in reading good books. Franklin K. Mathiews, a writer of books for boys, and Frederic G. Melcher, a publisher and editor, were responsible for beginning the celebration of National Children’s Book Week in 1919. Book Week was celebrated in November until 2008, when it moved to May.
The first Book Week poster was designed in 1921 by Jessie Willcox Smith, a popular illustrator of children’s books. The poster urged “More Books in the Home.” Since that time, parents, teachers, librarians, booksellers, publishers, editors, authors, and book reviewers have joined in the Book Week effort to stimulate reading by children.
Every Child a Reader, the philanthropic arm of the Children’s Book Council in New York City, formulates the plans and procedures for observing Book Week. Several million pieces of printed materials are issued annually to promote the celebration.
Book Week celebrations include exhibits of rare or outstanding children’s books at city and school libraries, personal appearances of authors and illustrators at book fairs and autographing parties, television and radio programs, motion pictures, and story hours.
Book Week observances have contributed greatly to the improvement of books for children. For example, in 1919, only 500 new children’s books were published. Today, thousands are published annually.
