Posted June 17, 2011

Barnes & Noble Colonie Center will be hosting a Summer Reading Kickoff Event which will feature 11 teen and children’s authors on Thursday, June 30th at 7:00 p.m. The event is also being sponsored by the Junior League of Albany with a portion of supporter’s sales benefiting the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Authors slated to appear at the event include: James Preller, author of the Jigsaw Jones children’s series; Shari Maurer, author of the teen book Change of Heart; Rose Kent, author of children’s books Kimchi & Calamari and Rocky Road ; Kristen Darbyshire, author of the children’s book Put it on the List ; Eric Luper, author of teen titles Big Slick, Bug Boy, Jeremy Bender vs. the Cupcake Cadets, and Seth Baumgartner’s Love Manifesto; Sarah Littman, author of teen titles Confessions of a Closet Catholic and Purge, Nova Ren Suma, author of teen titles Dani Noir and Imaginary Girls; Aimee Ferris, author of teen titles Girl Overboard (S.A.S.S. Series) and Will Work for Prom Dress; Jackie Morse Kessler, author of teen titles Hunger and Rage; and authors Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy, twin sisters who have co-authored a tween series about twin sisters including Take Two, Times Squared and Trading Faces. Julia DeVillers has also authored the children’s Liberty Porter series, and Jennifer Roy has also authored teen titles Mindblind and Yellow Star. The authors will be on hand to discuss and sign their books, discuss the writing process, and participate in a question/answer discussion with readers.

Barnes & Noble Colonie Center is hosting the event to kickoff their annual national Summer Reading Program. The program rewards children in grades K-6 who read any eight books, record them in the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Imagination’s Destination Journal and bring the completed journal to any Barnes & Noble store until September 6th, 2011. Journals can be obtained at any Barnes & Noble location. Children returning completed journals will have their choice of a free book from a selection of titles in the store. Completed journals will also be entered into a national drawing for one of twenty NOOK Color eReaders. “The program is a great way for us to help parents and teachers encourage kids to be life-long readers. It’s also a rare opportunity to showcase the talent of several local authors,” commented Barnes & Noble Colonie Center General Manager Eric A. Morgan.

The Junior League of Albany adopted Dolly Parton's Imagination Library as their project for 2008-2013. This initiative will provide one age-appropriate book each month to children ages birth to five years old within Albany City limits regardless of socioeconomics, risk factors, participation in certain programs, parental factors or any other means other than a child's age and residence.

With required summer reading playing an increasingly important role in school curriculums, this is an especially relevant and exciting event as parents and students can not only pick up their summer reading books, but can get them autographed and speak with the authors about what it takes to get a book published.