CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK MAY 11 – MAY 17, 2009 @ YOUR LIBRARY!

The Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library is celebrating Children’s Book Week with a variety of programs including visits by bestselling children’s book author Todd Parr!

Todd Parr is the author of over 25 children’s books including The I Love You Book, It’s Okay to Be Different and the beloved Otto series. His characters also inspired the award-winning television show ToddWorld. Books will be available for purchase for Todd to autograph after each program. Meet Todd and listen as he reads from his books and talks about what it’s like to be an author, at the following libraries:

Bloomingdale Regional Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Avenue, Saturday, May 16, at 10:15 am.

Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, 2902 West Bearss Avenue, Saturday, May 16 at 1:30 pm.

New Tampa Regional Library, 10001 Cross Creek Boulevard, Saturday, May 16, at 4 pm.

Other Children’s Book Week programs will feature children’s book author Michael Sampson. Michael has co-authored several children’s books with Bill Martin Jr. including the extremely popular Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 and The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry. Michael will talk about what it’s like to be an author and read from his books at the following libraries:

78th Street Community Library, 7625 Palm River Road, Monday May 11 at 10:30am.

SouthShore Regional Library at 15816 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin, Monday May 11 at 3:45pm.

Upper Tampa Bay Regional Public Library, 11211 Countryway Boulevard, Tuesday May 12, 11am.

Additionally the library also received a grant from Dollar General Stores that will supply local elementary school students with 5,000 books to support the Reading Is Fundamental program. Librarians will begin visiting selected schools during Children’s Book Week to offer interactive reading programs and give children a chance to choose a book to keep, encouraging the love of reading in all children.

Children’s Book Week events are sponsored by the following: Friends of the Bloomingdale Regional Library, Friends of the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, Friends of the New Tampa Regional Library, Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County, Inc., Friends of the SouthShore Regional Library, and the Friends of the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Public Library. For more information about these and other FREE programs @ your library®, please call (813) 273-3652 or visit hcplc.org.