Inspired by John Green, bookstores celebrate Esther Day
Esther Day is celebrated on Aug. 3, the birthday of teenager Esther Earl, with whom 'The Fault in Our Stars' author Green became acquainted before she died in 2010. Earl suggested the holiday center on 'the kinds of love that are too often overlooked in our culture: love among friends and family,' said Green.
Esther Day is celebrated on Aug. 3, the birthday of teenager Esther Earl, with whom 'The Fault in Our Stars' author Green became acquainted before she died in 2010. Earl suggested the holiday center on 'the kinds of love that are too often overlooked in our culture: love among friends and family,' said Green.
鈥淭he Fault in Our Stars鈥� author John Green and bookstores around the country celebrated Esther Day on Aug. 3, the birthday of teenager Esther Earl, who died in 2010 and to whom 鈥淔ault鈥� is dedicated.
Green met Earl at a 鈥淗arry Potter鈥� convention in 2009 and told USA Today that he had tried to write a book about children diagnosed with cancer before meeting her but that getting to know Earl taught him that 鈥渒ids with stage 4 cancer can be just as funny, and as normal and as afraid as any other kid,鈥� he told USA Today, though he has noted in the past that "I don鈥檛 want people conflating Esther with Hazel (they鈥檙e very different)," as he wrote on his Tumblr. "And it鈥檚 extremely important to me that I not claim to be telling Esther鈥檚 story."聽A book titled 鈥淭his Star Won鈥檛 Go Out,鈥� which is a collection of Earl鈥檚 letters, stories, and other material, was released this past January.聽
Green told USA Today that he and his brother, Hank, brought up the idea of a holiday on her birthday to her while she was still alive. Earl suggested 鈥渃elebrating friends and family and love,鈥� the author said. 鈥淭he kinds of love that are too often overlooked in our culture: love among friends and family.鈥� The holiday鈥檚 message is 鈥渢elling the people you love that you love them, even when it's difficult to do so,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n fact, especially when it's difficult to do so. We have a holiday for romantic love, but love isn't just about romance, so that's why Esther created Esther Day.鈥澛�
Some bookstores also celebrated Esther Day this year, according to industry newsletter Shelf Awareness. At the store BookPeople in Austin, Tex., the store鈥檚 children鈥檚 book buyer Megan Dietsche Goel worked with young adult specialist Ta鈥檔ecia Cannon and the store鈥檚 Teen Press Corps, a group of teenagers who suggest ideas to store staff, to create a display to promote 鈥淪tar鈥� this past January. The group eventually decided to take questions from Earl鈥檚 book like 鈥淚f you could tell the world one thing, what would it be?鈥� and asked customers to write responses on paper stars that were hung in the bookstore.
Penguin Young Readers Group director of marketing of middle grade and YA Lisa Kelly said she used the BookPeople idea as a jumping-off point for creating materials for this month鈥檚 Esther Day. She sent out an easel and stars, among other materials, to various bookstores.
Rakestraw Books in Danville, Calif. was one of the stores that participated and owner Michael Barnard said he took pictures of customers filling out stars and kept track of the hashtag 鈥�#EstherDay鈥� on social media. 鈥淲e just ran with it,鈥� he told Shelf Awareness.聽