Dear Children’s Booksellers,

I’ve been dreaming about going back to New Orleans since the last time we were there for Children’s Institute 2018. Ci2018 had a lot of firsts for me. First Children’s Institute I worked from start to finish as the Children’s Group Manager. First time ABA partnered with Drag Story Hour. First time I stayed up all night (last time, too) at a conference, all thanks to Scholastic’s After Party. First Opening Reception Costume Party. First beignet. First conference tattoo. You get the picture. But it wasn’t my first time being among a community of children’s booksellers. And I knew then, as I know now, that even if, on the first day of the conference, we are mostly strangers, we share a commonality. We care about kids and children’s books.

There’s something about Children’s Institute that brings out the caretakers and communities of booksellers who believe that children’s bookselling is intrinsic to all of bookselling. That kid’s books matter. That kids matter. It’s that way of thinking that leads to a place of being in a community that cares through action. Over the last year, we saw bookstores in Texas and Idaho (among others) testify to prevent the banning of books and the passing of hateful bills. Bookstores and community volunteers protected readers, bookstores, and booksellers from Drag Story Hour protesters. GoFundMe’s funding to fix bookstore property after acts of vandalism. Booksellers, you turn empathy into action and that action is seen everywhere. Because you speak up for children here, you fight for children everywhere. It’s with that in mind we gather together from all parts of the U.S. and beyond, carried by the cardinal directions of caring, community, support, and celebration. You might ask, what is the cause for celebration?

You, bookseller. It’s you.

When hope is hard to come by, it is the trust that kids have in booksellers that elicits care. “I have a book for that,” you say to kiddo. “Better yet, take two, and call me in the morning.” There is no promise that your prescription of two very good books will assuage life’s big questions, but it opens a door for curiosity. And that door leads back to the bookstore. Every time a child comes back to the bookstore, your business and community grows. And every time you come to a Children’s Institute, we grow — in knowledge and numbers. We strengthen each other and we celebrate.

So let’s begin with a celebration on Sunday, June 9, and make our way to Baldwin & Co. for a special Welcome to NOLA Reception, where folks arriving early will be served some NOLA knowledge, treated to music, and a special book signing with Renée Watson. Afterward, I encourage you to rest up, weary traveler, because on Monday, it all begins. (With many thanks to the Institute’s lead sponsor, Ingram.) 

You can read more about Ci2024 in the PW Children’s Institute Preview. If you have any questions, we are here to help. Take a moment to read the Frequently Asked Questions and DEIA Guide to New Orleans. Our Resources menu is chock full of useful information to support you during the conference and your time in New Orleans. One of the best things you can do is download the app and plug in your details. Include your photo so we can find each other and keep conversations going throughout the event. Some of the best exchanges happen in elevators, escalators, and hallways.

If this is your first time at a Children’s Institute, check out the First-Timer Orientation and Buddy Meet & Greet. It’s a place to begin to find community and establish lifelong connections. If you’re unsure of which session to attend while you’re at Ci2024, don’t worry. ABA and the Children’s Group will provide you with videos and audio recordings in the weeks after the event. 

On Monday, June 10, whether you’re hopping a bus for a full-day or half-day bookstore tour or staying close by for a seminar, or workshop, we’ve got you covered — and you too, publishers. Booksellers, join sessions like Recruiting, Hiring, and Onboarding with an Inclusive & Accessible Lens with AJ Williams and KJ Williams from RISEWITHUS, or come to the seminar The New Children’s Bookseller Toolbox, where booksellers who have been in the kid’s book biz for a while will answer your questions, give you pointers, and support you through your time at Ci2024. Publishers, you’ll have the chance to hear from booksellers about the reality of children’s events since the onset of COVID-19 and be a part of a candid discussion about the middle-grade market led by familiar voices in the children’s bookselling community. 

We’ll end the day with an opening keynote from Meg Medina, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, an initiative of the Library of Congress in partnership with Every Child a Reader. Let her words car(e)ry you through the remainder of the evening (and keep them close for the rest of Ci2024, — you’ll want to be able to recall them later). Don your best and most favorite children’s book character costume for the 5th Annual Children’s Institute Costume Party for a chance to win a $500 gift card. Voting happens in the app — reason number two to download the app and complete your profile before your toes touch down at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The first day ends with a community favorite Book Swap, a new Affinity Groups Evening Reception, and the Individual Affinity Group Meet-ups.

Not to sound braggadocious, but June 11 and 12 are the best days of Children’s Institute programming in the history of Children’s Institute. The sessions will ask you to release what you think you know and be open to something different. We’ll explore what it means to be in community, what that act of care looks like for a retail business, and when it’s time to step up or even step back, all the while keeping the business of books at the center of our conversations. Whether we’re discussing Redefining Success, Social Responsibility and Children’s Bookselling, Bookstore Systems and Automations, or Budgeting For Bookstores, everything can be observed from a vision of sustainable equity, community, and business strengthening.

Whether it’s with the words of Meg Medina; Renée Watson; Cheryl Willis-Hudson, Kwame Mbalia, and Bria Ragin; or Rex Ogle and Mark Oshiro, every day, the intention is set. On the last day, at the final hour, when all of your books have been systematically packed and you’ve written your to-do of new strategies to implement, you’ll be able to feel that care and community we created together. And we will celebrate because it is worth it.

I can’t wait to see you, my most favorite people, in my most favorite city. 

Safe journey,
Gen de Botton
Senior Manager of Children’s Bookselling Education and Programs