Vote now for your favorite teen (and kids) books

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Don’t let the name fool you. Children’s Book Week is for teens, too! This week is all about celebrating the books that matter to you.

May 4-10, 2015 is the 96th anniversary of CBW, the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country.

Every year, commemorative events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes -- wherever young readers and books connect!

The need for CBW today is as essential as it was in 1919, and the task remains the realization of Frederic Melcher’s fundamental declaration: “A great nation is a reading nation.”

CBW originated in the belief that children's books and literacy are life-changers. In 1913, Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, began touring the country to promote higher standards in children's books.

He proposed creating a reading program for the Boy Scouts, which would be supported by all interested groups: publishers, booksellers, and librarians. Matthiews efforts drew in supporters from Publishers Weekly, the New York Public Library, the American Booksellers Association and the American Library Association. In 1944 his program was adopted by the newly established Children’s Book Council, and has continued to grow from there as a national program.

In 2008, the Children's Choice Book Awards Program was created to provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them.

Each year in the weeks leading up to CBW, children and teens are invited to vote for their favorite book in several award categories: Childrens and Teens Debut Author, Children and Teens Choice, and Children’s Choice Illustrator.

Winners are announced live during Children's Book Week at the Children's Choice Book Awards Gala, the Academy Awards of children's literature.

Voting is open now at ccbookawards.com through Sunday, May 3.

Want to do more than just vote?

Head over to TeenReads.com for reviews, podcasts, author interviews, and much more.

Want to impress teachers and admissions officers? Stage a Read-In in your school. (And don’t forget to email us the pics.)

Volunteer to read to patients in a hospital or residents in a nursing home. Make a day of it by organizing a group trip of your friends and classmates. It’s a great way to share the joy of reading with people who can’t take their own trip to the library or bookstore.

Become a YouTube star! Reenact your favorite Hazel and Augustus scene, stage a book-related talk show with your friends, or come up with your own unique and crazy idea. And of course, don’t forget to send us the link.