Upcoming Holiday Events at Barnes & Noble

Barnes and Noble stores nationwide will be holding a series of FREE story time events for kids as well as charity programs, and Downton Abbey programs for adults. Individual stores may be participating in all, some, or none of the events. You can find the event dates and times for Barnes & Noble locations near you by using the Store Locator to select your local store.

The press release below includes more details about each program.

Barnes & Noble to Host Series of Free Storytime Events Designed to Spark a Love of Reading and Excitement for the Holidays

New York, New York – November 12, 2013 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), one of the nation’s largest booksellers and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced a series of special holiday Storytime events for children and families, designed to spark a love of reading, build excitement for the holiday season and encourage generosity towards others. The events center around favorite kids’ books and characters including How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Polar Express and The Elf on the Shelf®.

“It all happens at Barnes & Noble this holiday season and our booksellers are very excited to once again host our annual holiday Storytimes, as well as launch a few new events,” said Sarah DiFrancesco, Vice President of Business Development. “These events have been carefully planned to encourage children to read and get everyone in the family into the holiday spirit. From adopting an elf to encouraging kids to do one good deed each day for 25 days, attending a Barnes & Noble holiday event will certainly make everyone’s heart grow three times larger (just like the Grinch).”

Barnes & Noble’s 2013 children’s holiday store events include:

• The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition Storytime — Stores nationwide will host The Elf on the Shelf  Storytimes & Adopt-an-Elf events throughout November and December. The free event will kick off with a reading of The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition.  The story, written by Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell, reveals how Santa knows who to place on the Naughty and Nice lists each year.
• Thanksgiving Storytime – In November, select stores will host a free Storytime featuring a reading of a Thanksgiving-themed title such as Thanksgiving Day Thanks by author Laura Malone Elliot. Booksellers will add to the festivities by showcasing other Thanksgiving children’s book titles like Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit on the spectacular display of NOOK® HD+.  Holiday treats and fun activities will round out the festivities, along with a time of sharing as children express what they are thankful for.
• Festival of Lights at Chanukah Storytime – From November 27 to December 5, select stores will host a free Chanukah Storytime featuring a reading of author Jane Yolen’s tale, How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah? The special event will include fun Chanukah activities for the little ones. People of all faiths are welcome.
• “Grinch Day” – On December 1, stores across the country will celebrate the first-ever holiday event, the “25 Days of Grinchmas,” encouraging kids to “Grow Their Hearts Three Sizes by Doing One Kind Deed Each Day.” Grinch Day celebrates everyone’s favorite grump, the beloved green curmudgeon from the Dr. Seuss classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The festivities will include a Storytime, fun Grinch-themed activities and treats.
• Take a Ride on The Polar Express – On Friday, December 6, at 7 p.m., stores across the country will ring in the holiday season with a free Storytime featuring a reading of author Chris Van Allsburg’s heartwarming tale, The Polar Express. Children are invited to dress in their pajamas and “wind their way to the North Pole” during a reading of the holiday classic.

This holiday season, Barnes & Noble will also host a special event for adults:

• Downton Abbey Parties — From November 29 through December 15, stores nationwide will host celebrations for fans of all ages of the PBS drama Downton Abbey. The free Downton Abbey parties will feature show trivia and many fun activities, including costume contests, BYOTC (Bring your Own Teacup), find the fox (plush animal) hunt in the store, and more.

All Barnes & Noble holiday events are free and open to the public. For further details about the special holiday events, contact any Barnes & Noble store or visit the Barnes & Noble Store Locator.

In addition to hosting all of these great events this holiday season, Barnes & Noble has some other great holiday programs:

• Holiday Book Drive - For more than 20 years, Barnes & Noble customers and booksellers have demonstrated their holiday spirit and support for children who are less fortunate through the Holiday Book Drive, which runs from November 1 through January 1. Last year, stores collected and donated more than 1.5 million books to more than 2,000 local charities across the country that provide services to children.
• Holiday Gift Wrapping Program - In the rush of the holiday season, customers can save time and help a good cause by having their gifts wrapped in Barnes & Noble stores. The program helps not-for-profit organizations looking for a fun and easy way to raise money during the holiday season through gift wrapping services offered to customers for donations. The gift wrapping program runs through December 24. Organizations interested in participating should contact their local store for more information.

The very best gifts are all at Barnes & Noble this holiday season and customers are invited to discover and experience everything that Barnes & Noble has to offer at any of the nearly 700 stores nationwide or online at www.bn.com.

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 674 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, BN.com ( www.bn.com).  Its NOOK Media LLC subsidiary is a leader in the emerging digital reading and digital education markets.  The 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 692 bookstores serving over 4.6 million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble is proud to be named a J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Champion and is only one of 50 U.S. companies so named.  Barnes & Noble.com is ranked the number one online retailer in customer satisfaction in the book, music and video category and a Top 10 online retailer overall in customer satisfaction according to ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index (Spring Top 100 Edition).

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