Free Comic Book Day Kicks Off 96th Annual Children's Book Week Celebration!

On May 2, comic book stores will kick off Children's Book Week (May 4-10, 2015), the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading, by giving away over two million comics to younger readers on Free Comic Book Day! With over two dozen kid -friendly titles to choose from, there's a free comic book available to help every young reader get into the spirit of Children's Book Week which will be celebrated the following week with more fun, book-themed events, appearances from beloved children’s book authors and illustrators, and more in all fifty states.

Comics’ industry leaders Diamond Comic Distributors and Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) are partnering with Every Child a Reader and the Children's Book Council to bring greater focus to what comics offer kids, with cross-industry promotions and targeted resources for parents & educators during Children’s Book Week. In addition to Free Comic Book Day, the organizations will partner with authors, publishers, and comics specialty and book retailers to create Children's Book Week events spotlighting comics and the joy of reading at locations all over the United States!

Jennifer L. Holm, three-time Newbery Honoree and CBLDF board member says, "When I was a child, my love of reading started with comic books. Today, as a comics creator myself, and as a mom, I'm excited by how much extraordinary storytelling is happening for young people in comics. Children's Book Week is a wonderful time for people to come together and share the love of reading comics with kids everywhere!"

“Comics and graphic novels are incredible tools for fostering a love of reading in children, and transmit valuable literacy skills to readers of all levels. We are delighted to partner with Free Comic Book Day to share the joy of comics with kids nationwide this Children’s Book Week,” says Nicole Deming, interim director of the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader.

“On behalf of comic shops nationwide that promote reading in their communities on Free Comic Book Day and all year round, and the writers, artists and publishers creating a fantastic array of children’s comics today, we welcome this opportunity to collaborate with Children’s Book Week and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund,” added Roger Fletcher, Diamond VP Sales & Marketing.

Free Comic Book Day leads off the celebration of Children's Book Week at more than 2,000 comic book specialty stores, which will be giving away free kids comics ranging from an all-ages Marvel Comics Avengers story to Scholastic Publishing’s Cleopatra in Space to SuperMutant Magic Academy by indy publisher Drawn & Quarterly. For a complete listing of Free Comic Book Day titles for young readers, visit www.freecomicbookday.com. Some participating stores will also host events, workshops, and signings for kids on Free Comic Book Day. To find a participating comic book store, please visit www.freecomicbookday.com/storelocator.

Throughout Children's Book Week, comic shops and bookstores, libraries, and community groups host events in every state including storytime, author appearances, displays, and more! Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the Children's Book Council and Every Child a Reader will announce events on their websites. To get yours included, please email info@cbldf.org and cbc.info@cbcbooks.org . In the weeks to come, Diamond and CBLDF will also be creating event resources encouraging comic shop retailer participation.

To learn more about Children's Book Week, and how you can join the fun, please visit www.bookweekonline.com. Check out official events from coast to coast at www.bookweekonline.com/official. To learn more about Free Comic Book Day, please visit www.freecomicbookday.com. To learn more about Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and their efforts to protect kids' right to read, please visit www.cbldf.org.