From October 17-23, young readers can watch Grimes’s inspirational video on the YALSA website at . She will discuss the importance of reading as young readers celebrate this year’s theme “Books with Beat @ your library®,” which encourages teens to read poetry, audiobooks, books about music and more. Librarians and educators can also view the video on or download a .mov file to share with teen readers in their libraries.

Libraries across the world are celebrating Teen Read Week with a variety of special events and programs aimed at encouraging teens to read for pleasure and to visit their libraries for free reading materials.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nikki Grimes is the prolific and award-winning author of more than 50 books. A Coretta Scott King Award winner and recipient of the 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Children’s Poetry, many of her titles have been cited as Notable Books by the 91´«Ã½. She is renowned for her use of poetry to tell a cohesive story, for her insightful writing and for her ability to connect with her readers. She currently resides in California.

ABOUT TEEN READ WEEK: Teen Read Week is an initiative of the (YALSA). Teen Read Week started in 1998. Why is it important to celebrate? For a lot of reasons! Teens have so many options for entertainment, so it's important to remind them to spend time reading for pleasure: it's free, fun and can be done anywhere! Research shows that teens who read for fun have better test scores and are more likely to succeed in the workforce. Also, it’s a great chance to let your school or your public library communities know how important teen services are! Let teens know the possibilities that exist within your doors and within the covers of books.

About YALSA: For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to , or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.