CARL LENNERTZ
Carl is the Executive Director of Every Child A Reader, an award-winning, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that celebrates the powerful impact books have on young people through some of the longest-running and largest reading outreach programs in the country. Carl believes introducing children to the magic of reading is hero’s work and Every Child A Reader supports a diverse network of heroes — including educators, caregivers, librarians, and booksellers — by connecting book creators with communities, providing literacy tools and resources, and championing young people’s voices.
Every Child A Reader runs a number of national programs, including Children’s Book Week, the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country; The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, co-sponsored with the Library of Congress; the Kids’ Book Choice Awards, the only national book award program where the winners are selected only by kids and teens, and the Get Caught Reading campaign, a national classroom and library poster campaign featuring authors, athletes, artists and public figures ‘caught reading’ a favorite book.
Carl is also the Executive Director of the Children’s Book Council (CBC)—the nonprofit trade association of children’s book publishers in North America—dedicated to promoting children’s books and reading. Prior to his work with Every Child A Reader and the CBC, Carl held executive positions at several publishing houses, including VP of Marketing at Knopf and other roles at HarperCollins and Little, Brown. Carl’s nonprofit and association work includes 3 years running World Book Night US (distributing 250,000 free books annually), as well as projects with the American Booksellers Association and other groups. Carl and his family life in New York.