Tikatok.com Launches Exclusive Free Mobile App Featuring “Real Books by Real Kids” on NOOK Color™ Reader’s Tablet™

*Kicks Off Tikatok Summer of Imagination Writing Contest

*Summer Promotion Offers Kid Authors a Chance to Win Their Own Book Reading with Peter Lerangis, One of the Bestselling Authors of ’The 39 Clues®’ Adventure Series, at a Barnes & Noble Bookstore in New York City

New York, NY - Tikatok.com, a Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS) company, and the leading children’s online book community where kids can write, illustrate and publish their own books, today announced a new free Tikatok mobile application available immediately and exclusively on NOOK Color by Barnes & Noble. Tikatok also today announced the Tikatok Summer of Imagination Writing Contest for children ages 6-14, where real-world children authors can compete for a chance to win their own book reading with ’The 39 Clues®’ bestselling author, Peter Lerangis, at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in New York City.

Tikatok.com Free Mobile App

For the first time ever, the free Tikatok NOOK App™ allows kids to become published authors by creating their own eBooks on Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Color Reader’s Tablet. The application, adapted from Tikatok’s proprietary Book Creator software, places creativity and imagination directly into children’s hands, even while on the go. Young aspiring authors can capture thoughts and ideas on their NOOK Color and submit stories to be published into professionally bound hard or softcover books or eBooks. To enhance interactivity and customization, the new Tikatok writing app launches with features including an art gallery to spark children’s imagination, humorous book titles to jumpstart story ideas, and fun page backgrounds for decorating, all of which enhance interactivity and customization.

With the new NOOK App, children can also read books created by real kid authors. The Tikatok app invites users to share and enjoy a wide selection of original stories featured in “Tikatok Picks.” Imaginative stories, such as Fish Finds a Sunken Ship, Misunderstood Monsters, When the Wind Blows and Poly’s Gone Missing, were created by children ages 6-17 and are available to enjoy at no cost through the Tikatok NOOK App on NOOK Color.

“We are very excited to bring the entire creative storytelling process to NOOK Color for children and their parents,” said Sharon Kan, Co-Founder and General Manager of Tikatok. “This marks the first time kids can write their own books and read books by other children on NOOK Color. Children are amazing storytellers, and inspiring them to use their imagination to create, share and read their stories with one another is Tikatok’s priority. With the launch of the Tikatok NOOK App, we can reach more children and families, get them excited about creative writing and reading, and provide them with an easy-to-use, portable platform to tell their stories this summer and throughout the year.”

Tikatok Summer of Imagination Writing Contest

Just in time for summer - a time for adventure, exploration and daydreaming - Tikatok is also kicking off the Tikatok Summer of Imagination Writing Contest, where children have an opportunity to shine as a real-life author, and meet a bestselling author at their own book reading at a Barnes & Noble store. The Tikatok Summer of Imagination Writing Contest is a great activity for kids to be inspired during their summer vacations, capture their entertaining stories about special times with their family and friends and encourage creative writing and reading skills during the longer summer weeks.

To celebrate, children ages 6-14 are invited to create stories on NOOK Color or at Tikatok.com and submit for a chance to win the Grand Prize to meet Peter Lerangis, one of the bestselling authors of ’The 39 Clues®’ adventure series at their very own book reading at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in New York City, plus a NOOK Color Reader’s Tablet and a $500 Barnes & Noble gift card. Second Prize is a $100 Barnes & Noble gift card and $50 Tikatok gift card; and Third Prize consists of a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card and $25 Tikatok gift card. Each winner will also receive a hardcover copy of their book.

The contest is open to three age groups: 6-8, 9-11, and 12-14 years old. There will be one Grand, Second and Third Prize winner in each age group, with nine winners total. Three esteemed members of the Barnes & Noble Kids’ Expert Circle including Jenn Berman, M.F.T., Psy.D., author of SuperBaby and Rockin’ Babies; Ellen Booth Church, author of Literacy-Building Transition Activities; and Jackie Silberg, author of Baby Smarts, 12 Brain Games for Babies, will judge books based on creativity and originality, quality of artwork, compatibility of text and illustration, clear presentation of idea or story, and accuracy of spelling and grammar. Final book submissions are due by August 21, 2011. More details on the contest rules can be found at www.bn.com/writingcontest.

There is no charge for downloading the Tikatok NOOK App on NOOK Color and registering on Tikatok.com is free. Professionally bound soft and hardcover books may be ordered starting at $15 and $18 respectively.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the world’s largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 705 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, also operates 636 college bookstores serving nearly 4 million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, which also features more than two million titles in its NOOK Bookstore(TM) (www.bn.com/ebooks). Through Barnes & Noble’s NOOK(TM) eReading product offering, customers can buy and read eBooks on the widest range of platforms, including NOOK eBook Readers, devices from partner companies, and hundreds of the most popular mobile and computing devices using free NOOK software.

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