New York, New York – September 14, 2011 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, today announced the start of the 2011-2012 “Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher Contest.”  The Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher program provides students with the opportunity to tell their communities how much they appreciate their teachers.  Teachers from grades 1 through 12 are eligible for nomination.  Awards include cash prizes for the teachers and schools, NOOK™ eBook Readers and more.  The contest will be broken down into local and regional winners, from which the Barnes & Noble Teacher of the Year will be chosen. 

Students can nominate their teacher by writing essays, poems or thank you letters that share how their teacher has influenced their life and why they appreciate and admire their teacher.  Participating schools collect the essays and submit them to their local Barnes & Noble store for consideration.  Entries will be judged on the compelling nature of the teacher’s qualities, the sincerity of the student’s appreciation and the quality of expression and writing. 

The local winning teachers will be recognized at an event at their local Barnes & Noble where they will receive a special award acknowledging their achievement, a selection of five Sterling Children’s Classic books for their personal library, and additional recognition and praise from their community. The students who write the winning essays or poems will receive a $25 Gift Card, a certificate of recognition and will be honored at their local store during a ceremony for the winning teachers. 

Winning teachers from each store will be entered into the regional contest.  Each regional winner will receive a NOOK eBook Reader and a $500 Barnes & Noble Gift Card.   From the pool of regional winners, Barnes & Noble will name one teacher the Barnes & Noble National Teacher of the Year.  The winning teacher will receive $5,000 and the title of “My Favorite Teacher.”  The winner will be recognized at a special community celebration at their local Barnes & Noble store.  The winning teacher’s school will receive $5,000.

“The Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher Contest is just one more way for Barnes & Noble and the community to recognize how important teachers can be in their students’ lives,” said Sarah DiFrancesco, director of community relations.  “Barnes & Noble has always supported education through our B&N Educator Program, offering educators 20% off all purchases for classroom use and 25% on classroom and personal purchases during the Barnes & Noble Educator Appreciation Weeks.  The B&N@School section in our stores provides educational tools for parents, teachers and librarians, and our Barnes & Noble Bookfairs are a great way to raise funds for schools.”

The Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher Contest begins September 12, 2011, and ends March 1, 2012.  Only students enrolled in grades 1 through 12 and active teachers employed in elementary, middle or high schools in the United States are eligible to win.  More details on the contest rules can be found at www.bn.com/myfavoriteteacher.

Students who want to participate should submit their essay or poem to their local Barnes & Noble by March 1, 2012.