Building on the success of the inaugural Bookmarked! festival in 2010, the Lucy Daniels Center and Lucy's Book Club have announced the dates and featured author for 2011.

Three-time Caldecott Honor Award winner Molly Bang, who has written and illustrated more than 30 books for children, will join local celebrity-heroes and hundreds of families in celebrating the delights of children's literature and the special joys of reading together. She will be the second recipient of the Lucy Daniels Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to children's literature that supports social and emotional health.

Ms. Bang is the author/illustrator of three Caldecott Honor Books: The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher (1981), Ten, Nine, Eight (1983), and When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry... (2000). She was also awarded The Boston-Globe/Horn Book Award for The Paper Crane (1985); the 2000 Giverny Award for best science picture book for Common Ground; and the 2010 AAAS Prize for best science picture book for Living Sunlight.

Lucy's Book Club (LBC) is the Center's premiere public outreach program. It supports healthy social and emotional growth in young children by encouraging parents to read to them books that approach important developmental themes in a safe and reassuring way. When Sophie Gets Angry and All of Me! A Book of Thanks have been featured LBC titles in the past year. Ms. Bang's philosophy as a children's author and illustrator reflects the purpose behind LBC and Bookmarked!: "Reading picture books together is one of the nicest ways to snuggle with your child, be close, and talk about things that are important," she has said.

The festival runs from May 6 – May 22, 2011, and will include free public readings by local celebrity-heroes, fun activities for children and their families, an LBC book fair at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, and special events featuring Ms. Bang.

Bookmarked! sponsorships, in amounts ranging from $15,000 to $250, are available now and offer sponsors opportunities for high visibility throughout the two-week event and for the next year of Lucy's Book Club. Overall attendance is estimated at more than 10,000 children and families. Sponsorships will help cover the costs of Lucy's Book Club for 2011-2012 and provide significant support for the Center's Family Support Fund, which helps cover the difference between what families can afford to pay for services at the Center and their actual cost. As more than 90% of Center families pay less than the full cost of the mental health services received by their children, Bookmarked!, together with contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations, makes it possible for these children to receive the treatment they need when it can have the greatest impact.

For more information and a complete list of sponsor levels and benefits, visit www.lucysbookclub.org or call Joyce Watkins King, director of development at 919.677.1400 x120.