Closing out the second leg of this year’s Children’s Book Week, the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader are gearing up for the fall celebration. Scheduled for November 8–14, the week-long literacy event has already attracted more than 750 schools, libraries, and bookstores to engage in activities centered on this year’s “Reading Is a Superpower” theme.

The fall festivities build upon the offerings that took place this past May, when much of the programming had shifted to a virtual format because of the pandemic. “We were so excited to see the response to this year’s theme during our spring celebration,” said Shaina Birkhead, associate executive director of the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader. “We got a lot of positive feedback from adults and kids who had fun discovering things about themselves and their communities. Participants felt empowered and it was a great way for people to connect with and uplift each other. We hope that the fall celebration encourages young readers to know that self-discovery is a constant process.”

Here are some of the highlights of the 2021 Fall CBW campaign.

A Novel Idea. This year marks the CBC’s debut partnership with NaNoWriMo, a nonprofit group that supports writing fluency and education. During National Novel Writing Month in November, the organization is providing readers with resources to help share their own stories. “Through cross-promotion of our celebrations, the sharing of resources targeted at young readers/writers and the support of some of the authors they work with, we are getting the word out about NaNoWriMo and Children’s Book Week to more kids across the country than ever before,” Birkhead said.

Epic Proportions. For the third consecutive year, the Epic! digital library for kids will offer an assortment of audio books and e-books featuring superpowers and superheroes. Epic! is also supporting the Kids’ Choice Book Awards with a collection of materials from select finalists.

Superpower Surge. To further enhance CBW’s Superpower Creator Campaign, six new authors and illustrators have been added to the existing line-up. Inspirational quotes—secured by NaNoWriMo and Epic!—and videos from Kacen Callender, Marie Lu, Stacey Lee, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, and Matthew Cody, and Chad Thomas will be featured online during this initiative.

Lend an Ear. Every Child a Reader will sponsor a new episode of “The Book of Life,” a podcast centered on Jewish kidlit. Released in time for CBW, the November program will highlight an interview with E. Lockhart, author of the YA graphic novel Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero.

Updated Resources. A new downloadable educator kit, available to teachers, librarians and parents alike, will focus on this year’s theme via three sections: what real-life superpowers are, how kids can find their own superpower, and how to use it in real life. All other tools from spring Book Week, including bookmarks, step-by-step drawing activities and the Superpower Challenge, have also been updated.

Exercising Your Right. The last day of CBW, November 14, marks the final opportunity to vote for the Kids’ Book Choice Awards finalists. “With a new name, visual branding and fun, new categories, these reimagined awards are a great way for kids to voice their choice on their favorite books of the year,” Birkhead said. Online voting is open here. The winners will be announced in early December.