Barnes & Noble Announces June Lineup of Free Children’s Storytimes Where Kids Explore Their Imaginations and Discover a Love of Reading

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the nation’s largest retail bookseller and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced its June 2015 lineup of free Storytime events for children and families, all designed to celebrate the joy of reading. At each event, the stories may be read on the Samsung Galaxy Tab® 4 NOOK®, a full-featured Android tablet that combines Samsung’s leading technology and NOOK’s extraordinary content and reading experience. During all Barnes & Noble Storytime readings and activities, parents and guardians are encouraged to take pictures and post to their personal social media sites using the hashtag #BNStorytime.

The month kicks off with the Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Storytime on Saturday, June 6, at 11 a.m. at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide. Available exclusively at Barnes & Noble, this special Keepsake Edition of Dr. Seuss’s wonderfully wise graduation speech is perfect for graduates of all ages. The Barnes & Noble exclusive edition includes eight extra pages designed to be personalized with photographs, signatures, advice from teachers, friends and family, plus notes about dreams for the future. The inside back cover also has a sturdy pocket for storing mementos. Whether personalized by the gift giver or by the recipient, it is sure to become a treasured volume—a place where happy memories are captured and inspiration can always be found. Activities and free bookmarks (available to the first 50 participants) will round out the fun.

Touch the Brightest Star Storytime – On Saturday, June 13, at 11 a.m., Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will feature Barnes & Noble’s Picture Book of the Month selection, the company’s choice of the most engaging and entertaining stories. In this new story with lush, beautiful watercolors and cut-paper collage, Christie Matheson reveals the magic of the nighttime sky, using the same kinds of toddler-perfect interactive elements as her acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree. Drawing, word searches and a cut-out activity are part of the Storytime fun.

Fans of the book can meet author Christie Matheson for a special Storytime and book signing at the Barnes & Noble store located at 313 Corte Madera Town Center in Corte Madera, CA, on Saturday, June 13, at 11 a.m. For more information, please contact Laurel Kidd, Community Business Development Manager, at (415) 927-9023.

How to Surprise a Dad and How to Babysit a Grandpa Storytime– On Saturday, June 20, at 11 a.m., in celebration of Father’s Day, Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will host a special Storytime featuring two terrific stories by Jean Reagan. In How to Babysit a Grandpa, a Barnes & Noble and New York Times bestselling picture book, the narrator gives important tips for “babysitting” a grandpa, including what to eat for a snack, what to do on a walk and how to play with a grandpa.

How to Surprise a Dad is full of tips on how to become a super dad-surpriser, including tips for things you can make, do or find—just for dad.

Granddads, dads and their children will also participate in a variety of fun activities to celebrate the special day.

Jean Reagan, author of How to Babysit a Grandpa and How to Surprise a Dad, will appear for a Storytime and book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Albuquerque, NM, on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m. The store is located at 6600 Menaul Boulevard NE. Please contact Community Business Development Manager Sandra Williams at (505) 883-8236 for details.

Orion and the Dark Storytime– On Saturday, June 27, at 11 a.m., all Barnes & Noble stores will host a special Storytime with Orion and the Dark, Emma Yarlett’s picture book story about an unexpected friendship that helps one little boy overcome his fear of the dark. Orion is scared of a lot of things, but most of all he’s scared of the dark. So one night the Dark decides to take Orion on an adventure. Emma Yarlett’s incredible artwork with die-cut pages brings the Dark to life. Exciting word searches, drawing, coloring and writing exercises are part of the enjoyment.

Additionally, throughout the month of June and while supplies last, customers can purchase Peanut Butter & Cupcake at the special price of only $7.99 (regularly priced $17.99) with the purchase of any children’s book. Terry Border’s tale asks, “What’s a little piece of bread to do when he’s feeling lonely?” Find a friend, of course! This special offer ends July 20.

Barnes & Noble Storytimes are free and open to the public. All events are subject to change. Customers should visit the Barnes & Noble Store Locator (www.bn.com/storelocator) for more information about events at their local store.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is a Fortune 500 company and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. The Company operates 649 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, BN.com (www.bn.com). Its NOOK digital business offers award-winning NOOK® products and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content through the NOOK Store® (www.nook.com), while Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC operates 717 bookstores serving over five million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States.

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained by visiting the Company's corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

Barnes & Noble®, Barnes & Noble Booksellers® and Barnes & Noble.com® are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. or its affiliates.

For more information on Barnes & Noble, follow us on https://twitter.com/BNBuzz, http://instagram.com/barnesandnoble and http://thebarnesandnoble.tumblr.com, and like us on https://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150520005182/en/