This year’s BookExpo America convention, being held in New York City at the end of this month, will feature a host of programs and events for those interested in children’s books. In addition to our previous roundup of activities and our extensive listing of Galleys to Grab at the show, here are a few more tidbits to know about.

• On Friday, May 29 at 1:45 P.M., the Association of Booksellers for Children, American Booksellers Association and Children’s Book Council are co-sponsoring a Tea with Children’s Authors, open to booksellers and librarians only. The event is free, though pre-registration is required (click here to sign up). The new event is designed to allow for conversations with authors and artists in a “relaxed and casual environment.” Nearly 20 authors and artists are scheduled to appear, including Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Kristin Cashore, Suzanne Collins, Kate DiCamillo, Tomie dePaola, Sarah Dessen, Jon Scieszka and Rosemary Wells.

• PW’s sister publication, School Library Journal, will be hosting its first Day of Dialog on Thursday, May 28, starting at 8:30 A.M. The all-day event, open to librarians, will be held at the Grand Army Plaza branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. The day’s events include two morning panels (“The Blogger, the Book, and the Buzz,” and an audiobook panel featuring Jon Scieszka); an interview with Jane Smiley (The Georges and the Jewels); lunch with guest speaker Jerry Pinkney; and, in the afternoon, a “Publishers’ Pitch” panel in which houses reveal their hottest books, and a panel entitled “The Multiplatform Novel,” with Scholastic’s David Levithan, Peter Lerangis (The 39 Clues, Book Three: The Sword Thief), Jennifer Cowan (Earthgirl), and Lisa Holton of Fourth Story Media. For more information and to sign up, visit SLJ’s Day of Dialog page.

• The Arab Children's Book Publisher's Forum, headed by Sheikha Bodour Al Qassimi and one of the most significant organizations promotiong Arabic literature among children, will participate at BEA. The Forum, which includes members from various Arab countries, will have 60 of its members at the trade show, where it will, among other things, have a book pavilion highlighting a selection of titles from each of its member countries. At the show the organization will also announce the new ETISALAT's Annual Award, for most distinguished Arabic children's book. The prize comes with a monetary award of one million dirham, and the first winner will be announced at the Sharjah World Book Fair in November 2009.

Click here for more BookExpo America 2009 coverage from PW.