NEWS RELEASES > JULY 20, 2023
MCHENRY, Ill., July 20, 2023 — Educators from around the country joined several top children’s authors at ReadingCon 2023, staged recently by Follett School Solutions at Northern Illinois University, Naperville Conference Center.
The professional development event featured breakout sessions addressing key topics facilitated by educators, comprised mostly of teachers and librarians, alongside the high-profile authors.
“This was a fabulous day,” said Kate DiCamillo, a two-time Newbery Award-winning author who delivered the keynote address to open the event. “I loved being able to talk to so many educators.”
Other authors in attendance included Laurie Halse Anderson, Derrick Barnes, Andrea Beaty, Jerry Craft, Joanna Ho, Kazu Kibuishi, Sarah Kurpiel, Sara Raasch, Dwayne Reed, Beth Revis, Aisha Saeed, John Schu, Ruth Spiro, Lauren Tarshis, and Carole Boston Weatherford.
“Thank you so much to Follett for inviting me to play along and learn so much,” said Beaty, acclaimed for her series, The Questioneers. “I loved the day and everything being done to get books in the hands of kids!”
ReadingCon ’23, held June 22, also featured a bookstore with author titles for on-site purchases, as well as ample time set aside for author book signings. In addition, participating publishers from Follett’s Premier Partner Program were on site to share their latest titles, meet with the attendees, and provide books that were awarded as prizes during random drawings.
“We heard many times throughout the day that this type of event doesn’t exist elsewhere,” said Britten Follett, CEO of Follett Content Solutions. “Infusing professional development for educators with top-tier authors in an intimate setting, all at an affordable price, proved to be the right blueprint for an event such as this.”
###
Media Contact: Doug Thompson | Thompson Drake Public Relations | 541.419.4471 | doug@thompsondrake.com
Follett Content Celebrates Colorado Teacher of the Year Merci Ames with 700-Book Donation
October 1, 2026
Merci Ames, a science teacher and longtime basketball coach at Strasburg High School, has been named the 2027 Colorado Teacher of the Year. To celebrate her impact, Follett Content donated 700 books to Strasburg High School, helping students build personal...
Read more
September 29, 2026
The public book sale welcomed 1,468 shoppers, who purchased 48,922 books during the one-day event. Combined with the employee presale, more than 50,500 books found new homes while helping support early childhood literacy throughout McHenry County.
Read more
September 14, 2026
One-day sale offers thousands of books at bargain prices while supporting literacy opportunities for local children.
Read more
July 14, 2026
McHenry, Ill. – July 14, 2026 – Follett Content, a leading provider of PreK-12 literacy resources, supported Page Ahead’s 2026 Book Up Summer program, helping distribute 79,959 books to 10,220 students across 50 schools throughout Washington state.Book Up Summer is...
Read more
Follett Content Team Raises Funds for CASA of McHenry County Through Employee Bookstore
June 24, 2026
McHenry, Ill. – June 24, 2026 – Follett Content, a leading provider of PreK-12 literacy resources, announced a $1,013 donation to Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of McHenry County, generated through proceeds from employee purchases at Edythe’s Book Nook (EBN), its...
Read more
Follett Content Launches tonies + Book Bundles for Libraries
June 23, 2026
McHenry, Ill., June 23, 2026 – Follett Content, a leading provider of content and services for public and school libraries, today announced the launch of tonies® + Book Bundles, a new offering now available for purchase by libraries.Developed in collaboration...
Read more