Each year, a group of literary activists come together to host the annual WNY Children’s Book Expo. This year, Read to Succeed Buffalo, Monkey See Monkey Do (Children’s Bookstore), and Medaille College will host the event in conjunction with KidsLit Week, which runs from November 5 through November 9. KidsLit Week was established to encourage reading among children grades pre-K through middle school.
KidsLit Week includes internationally acclaimed authors and illustrators visiting area schools, libraries, and other cultural venues.
The 2018 expo will be held on Saturday, November 10, and will feature new and beloved children’s books, and an opportunity to interact with 37 authors who will be conducting readings and signing books. There will also be presentations and demonstrations throughout the day.
“It is incredible how this event has taken off,” says Anne Ryan, executive director of Read to Succeed Buffalo. “KidsLit Week has been embraced by the Buffalo Public Schools and I am so grateful to them and our funding partners like Rich Products, the Buffalo Bills, the Buffalo Teacher’s Federation, and many others for allowing us to bring these incredible author rock stars to students in 21 Buffalo Public and charter schools.”
Kim Krug, owner of Monkey See…Monkey Do Children’s Bookstore in Clarence and cofounder of the event agrees: “When my mother and I started this event four years ago we never could have imagined how much it would grow! We wanted to create an event that would inspire a love of reading and share a little piece of our bookstore philosophy of ‘bringing books to life’ for all of WNY. This year’s Expo theme is ‘imagine’ and it brings me joy to imagine the thousands of children across WNY that will be exposed to these talented authors and illustrators.”
- Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown will be on hand to present a proclamation declaring the week of November 5 as “Kids Lit Week” and November 10 as “Western New York Children’s Book Expo Day” in the City of Buffalo. Mayor Brown is attending the event and will be signing copies of “Max Meets the Mayor” by local author Mark Goldman.
- Educators can participate in a New York State-approved, four-hour Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Workshop starting at 8 a.m. The workshop is coordinated by author Judy Bradbury and sponsored by Medaille College. In 2017, nearly 130 educators attended from across Upstate New York and Southern Ontario.
Medaille College President Dr. Kenneth M. Macur is a longtime supporter of the WNYCBE. “I think this is right in the wheelhouse of our mission to take education outside of the classroom and put it into the community,” Dr. Macur says. “That’s why being a lead sponsor and lead organizer of this event, and the week of events promoting literacy awareness, is crucial for the College.”
The Western New York Children’s Book Expo (WNYCBE)
Expo Saturday, November 10, 2018
Buffalo Niagara Convention Center
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Expo Saturday is a day-long showcase
Admission is free and so is parking at the Fernbach Auto Ramp
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York is this year’s presenting sponsor. Rich Products and the Rich Family Foundation sponsored 12 Buffalo Public School author visits. For more information, visit WNYCBE.com.