The Children’s Book Council has released the schedule of official events in New York City for Children’s Book Week, which begins this weekend. As we previously reported, this marks the first time Children’s Book Week will be held in the spring, instead of the traditional week in November. Though schools, libraries and bookstores nationwide will celebrate the week, each year the CBC will add a city, beginning with New York City, where official events will take place. Additional information is available on the Children’s Book Week Web site.

The NYC events are:

Saturday, May 10: Kick-Off Event, Bryant Park Reading Room. Readings and signings will take place from 12 to 5 PM, with authors, illustrators and children’s book characters in attendance.

Monday, May 12: Commerce Bank Breakfast. The finalists for the Children’s Choice Book Awards will receive certificates. Leonard S. Marcus (Minders of Make Believe, Houghton) will discuss children’s book history.

Tuesday, May 13: Children’s Choice Book Awards Gala. The winners of the CBC’s first Children’s Choice Book Awards will be announced in an evening event hosted by Jon Scieszka, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Thursday, May 15: NBA Store Reading and Signing. Walter Dean Myers (Game) and Bob Krech (Rebound) will read from and sign their books. Members of the WNBA’s New York Liberty will also be in attendance.

Saturday, May 17: The Little Big Read. Grand Central Terminal will become home to a mystery scavenger hunt, with clues derived from Bruce Hale’s book, The Malted Falcon (Harcourt), the official book of the 2008 Big Read for Kids. Jon Scieszka will serve as host.

Sunday, May 18: Closing Event, Bryant Park Reading Room. Writers from WritopiaLab, an organization that conducts writing seminars for youth in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Westchester County, will read their stories, poetry and other works.