BEA Book Expo America to Honor Children's Book Council with Ambassador Award

CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL TO RECEIVE BOOKEXPO AMERICA'S INDUSTRY AMBASSADOR AWARD Organization is Acknowledged for Work on Behalf of Industry and Fostering Literacy

BookExpo America (BEA) will honor the Children's Book Council with the 2015  Industry Ambassador Award. This will be the fifth annual Industry Ambassador Award which is administered by BEA and which has recognized major innovators and creative business leaders in the book industry. Most readers best recognize the Children's Book Cuoncil as the anchor sponsor of Children's Book Week established in 2008.  While this is the first year that the award is being bestowed on an organization in place of an individual, BEA show organizers note that the Children's Book Council's work is both personal and special for its dedication to fostering literacy, diversity and education, making it eminently qualified to receive the award.  The Industry Ambassador Award will be presented by Steven Rosato, Show Manager of BEA to Jon Colman, Executive Director of CBC at a ceremony at this year's BookExpo America on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 4:00pm in Room 1E12/1E13/1E14 at the Javits Center in New York City. BEA, which is North America's largest trade book industry event, takes place May 27 – May 29. "I could not be happier than to be honoring the Children's Book Council this year," notes Steve Rosato, Show Manager for BookExpo America. "They are supreme advocates for literacy fostering relationships and partnerships with other important organizations such as the unPrison Project, We Need Diverse Books, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. They are a tireless book industry advocate which makes them especially suited to receive this award which was specifically created to recognize industry leadership. They are true leaders." The Children's Book Council is also the anchor sponsor of Children's Book Week, which is administered by Every Child a Reader (ECAR). Additionally, the Fourth National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Kate DiCamillo continues to tour the United States, sharing the transformative power of literacy with children. The program was established in 2008 and is co-sponsored by ECAR, CBC, and the Center for the Book in in the Library of congress.  For more information about the Children's Book Council please visit: http://www.cbcbooks.org/ For more information about BookExpo America please visit:  http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/ ABOUT CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL: The Children’s Book Council is the national nonprofit trade association for children’s book publishers. The CBC offers children’s publishers the opportunity to work together on issues of importance to the industry at large, including educational programming, literacy advocacy, and collaborations with other national organizations. Our members span the spectrum from large international houses to smaller independent presses. Membership in the CBC is open to U.S. publishers of children’s trade books, as well as in some cases to industry-affiliated companies. The CBC is proud to partner with other national organizations on co-sponsored reading lists, educational programming, and literacy initiatives. Please visit www.cbcbooks.org for more information.

ABOUT BOOKEXPO AMERICA:  BookExpo America (BEA) is North America’s largest gathering of book trade professionals attracting an international audience. The event is widely known as an ideal place for content creators, media, booksellers, rights professionals, and movie and television executives to meet new authors, discover new books, learn about trends shaping the book industry, and network with those who have a passion for books and reading. BEA is foremost a gathering place for creative writers and thinkers and the commerce they create. It is recognized for the media attention it brings to upcoming books as well as for the notable authors it attracts to the convention itself.  BEA is organized with the support of association partners including the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the American Booksellers Association (ABA). ########