Carrie Martin Wins 2016 'My Favorite Teacher Contest' and 'Teacher of the Year'

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the nation's largest retail bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today named Carrie Martin from Evers Park Elementary School in Denton, TX, as the 2016 national winner and "Teacher of the Year" in the Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher Contest. Mrs. Martin, a second grade teacher, was nominated by her former student, high school senior Tianna Bridges-Reed, and was chosen from more than 10,000 entries at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide.

From January 2016 to March 2016, Barnes & Noble invited students to nominate their favorite 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. Entries were accepted at Barnes & Noble stores, and were 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 Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher Contest recognizes and celebrates thousands of inspiring teachers each year," said Sarah DiFrancesco, Vice President of Business Development for Barnes & Noble. "The contest culminates with our highest honor - The Barnes & Noble Teacher of the Year award - and this year we are thrilled to present this award to Mrs. Carrie Martin, whose care, dedication, and unwavering belief in her students is reflected in Tianna Bridges-Reed's moving essay."

Tianna wrote, "Mrs. Martin was the first teacher I can ever remember who put faith in me; I didn't even have faith in myself. She let me know I could do anything if I believed. As a dyslexic child, I never had that special someone. Dyslexia is a reading and writing disorder that affects the way a child learns to read and write; it can affect other subjects as well. I struggled in all subjects - writing and math also.

"Carrie Martin was the teacher whom I will never forget. She helped me to make sure I passed the math T.A.K.S. so I could go on to middle school. She helped me be the person I am today (besides my Mom). She is the one who inspired me to decide I wanted to be a teacher...

"As a senior in high school, I've taken a class called Education and Training. This class helps high schoolers know if they want to become a teacher by giving them an internship in an elementary school, where I had a familiar mentor teacher - I interned for Mrs. Martin. She helped me better myself as a future teacher and as a student. I thank her so much for helping me, not only in passing my test, but in furthering my teaching skills and abilities... Thank you for everything, Mrs. Martin!"

Along with the title of "Teacher of the Year," Mrs. Martin will receive $5,000 and will be recognized at a special community celebration at her school on May 6. Mrs. Martin's school will also receive $5,000.

The Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher program provides middle and high school students with the opportunity to tell their communities how much they appreciate their teachers. Teachers from Grades 1-12 are eligible for nomination. Awards for local and regional winners included prizes for the teachers, including NOOKs and more.

The My Favorite Teacher Contest runs from January to March. Details on the contest rules can be found at www.bn.com/myfavoriteteacher.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is a Fortune 500 company, the nation's largest retail bookseller, and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. The Company operates 640 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web's premier e-commerce sites, BN.com (www.bn.com). The Nook Digital business offers a lineup of popular NOOK tablets and eReaders and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content through the NOOK Store. The NOOK Store features more than 4 million digital books in the US (www.nook.com), plus periodicals and comics, and offers the ability to enjoy content across a wide array of popular devices through Free NOOK Reading Apps available for Android, iOS and Windows.

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

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