Good news from Cape Cod: after several months of fundraising, East End Books Ptown, Provincetown, Mass., has bought the space it has rented since its founding six years ago, the Cape Cod Wave reported. On January 20, Ptown Dreams LLC, which consists of bookstore owner Jeff Peters and two supporters, bought the space for $499,000 from artist Paul Wisotsky. Peters has an option to buy out his two partners in five years.

Peters began a campaign last fall to help with the purchase after learning that his landlord intended to sell the building and was giving Peters a right of first refusal. A GoFundMe campaign raised more than $25,000.

Opened in 2017, East End Books Ptown has a 900-square-foot space with a deck and additional outside space facing the sea. The store sells books, e-books, audiobooks, vinyl albums, magazines and more.

The Head and the Hand, a nonprofit publisher and bookstore that opened in Philadelphia, Pa., three years ago, is moving to a new, larger location. Billy Penn has reported that The Head and the Hand will move about a half-mile, from 2644 Coral St. to 2230 Frankford Ave. The store's footprint will essentially double and it will be surrounded by other independent businesses.

Linda Gallant Moore, the nonprofit's editorial director, told Billy Penn that The Head and the Hand had seen a downturn in foot traffic over the past two years, which prompted the move. "We feel like we're coming to a place that has a lot of vitality."

The new space, which is scheduled to open March 4, will have two floors. The first will contain the bookstore inventory and be used for writing workshops and similar programs, while the second floor will be "cozy, warm and inviting for the community," Moore explained. That's where storytime sessions and other events will take place.

Moore and her team plan to use the additional space to expand their programming schedule. One of their most popular offerings is the Date Night program, through which customers can rent out the entire store for an evening.

The success of the program has led to an upcoming publishing project: The Head and the Hand will be collecting stories shared by couples who have rented out the store for their date nights and will publish them in an anthology, expected later this year or in 2023.

The Barnes & Noble in Braintree, Mass., is closing on May 22 and the company says it will reopen in another site nearby, the Patriot Ledger reported.

B&N said the store is closing because "the landlord has chosen to redevelop the space for another tenant... We have truly enjoyed serving our customers from this location for the past 28 years and appreciate their loyalty and support. We are to open a new bookstore in close proximity and will announce the location shortly."

The Braintree B&N had nearly closed two years ago, but customers rallied and persuaded the landlord to keep B&N.

All of the staff of the Braintree store have been offered jobs at other locations, the company said.

Kyle Lukoff

Kyle Lukoff is the author of When Aidan Became a Brother, A Storytelling of Ravens and many other books for young readers. He spent 10 years working in bookstores and nine more years as a school librarian, and now he writes full time. Earlier this week, Too Bright to See (Dial Books) won the Stonewall Book Award-Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's Literature Award and a John Newbery Medal honor.

Congratulations! How are you feeling? What are you thinking?

It's so intense! Especially since I was a librarian for a long time, served on the Stonewall committee for two years and am friends with a number of former Newbery committee members (who have been very patient with my frantic questions). Back when the ALA Annual conference was canceled in 2020, I joked "Well, I'll just have to win another Stonewall," but I didn't mean for anyone to take that literally. And a Newbery honor... that has never been a real goal because that award belongs to real authors like Lois Lowry or Meg Medina, not people like me. The possibility had been hovering in my mind, but more as a daydream than a prediction. So I am currently having to adjust to a new reality where something unbelievable is, in fact, concrete.

You and Kaylani Juanita received the 2020 award for the picture book When Aidan Became a Brother. But this is your first solo win, and Too Bright to See is your first middle-grade novel. What inspired you to write it?

When I started Too Bright to See, I was working as a school librarian. I had sold my debut picture book but was still figuring out how I was going to make my mark as a trans writer who explored that part of my life and community in literature. At the time I didn't know of any middle-grade novels about trans boys and thought that I was as good a person as any to fill that gap, so set my mind to creating one.

What made you want to have spooky elements in this story?

I had been talking to a parent in my library before the school day started and was saying, "I want to write a middle-grade trans boy book, but I also want to write a ghost story using this sentence my dad used in a story he wrote when he was younger." Then the lightning strike of "why not both" crashed into my skull, and the whole story unfurled like a carpet in that moment.

Who do you hope reads this book?

I've been working in bookstores or libraries for over 20 years, which means that I am confident in the knowledge that not every book is for every person. But I hope kids who like scary stories pick it up. I hope kids who are nervous about middle school pick it up and know they're not alone in that feeling. I hope kids who know they're trans read this and are like, "Hey that's me, that's cool!" And I hope some kids pick it up and are like, "Hey... that might be me. That's cool."

Have you been able to meet with readers, either virtually or in person, to chat about this book since it published? What was that like?

I have! Many virtual events, and I was lucky enough to visit four schools in person. The most wonderful part is always when queer or trans kids share that with me, whether it's in a chat box or hanging at the back of a signing line. Even in the midst of transformatively difficult times, the energy that young people have, the questions they ask and the answers they create, is hugely powerful.

Are you working on anything right now?

I am! Two active projects, and one very special book that is gently simmering in my mind.

Is there anything else you'd like to say to Shelf Awareness readers?

I came up with "Newstoneberywall" to refer to the two awards, which I find delightful, and if that term spread, I would be quite pleased. I also think I'm the first person to write a book that overlaps those two categories, which, as a lover of both categories and what spans them, adds an extra soupçon of satisfaction to the whole situation. --Siân Gaetano, children's/YA editor, Shelf Awareness

Amber McBride

Amber McBride is a professor of English at the University of Virginia and holds an MFA in poetry from Emerson College. Her debut novel, Me (Moth) (Feiwel and Friends), is the 2022 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner. Me (Moth) was also a finalist for the William C. Morris Award and the National Book Award in Young People's Literature.

Congratulations! How does it feel to have your debut receive so much love?

Thank you so much! It's all (still) very surreal, when I read the list of awards and honors above, I think, "Wait this must be dream, that's all for my little Hoodoo book, Me (Moth)?" Ultimately though, awards mean buzz, and buzz means that my book has a better chance of finding its way into the hands of young adult readers, which is all I ever want. When I was young, books were my refuge, so I feel humbled and honored that Me (Moth) has received so much recognition.

Me (Moth) was the only book that made me cry this year. I was truly unprepared for the depth of emotion in this title. Where did this idea come from?

First, all the hugs to anyone who wept at any point while reading Me (Moth)! So many people have told me that they cried while reading, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that this book explores grief, healing and history. I started writing this novel after my grandfather passed away in 2019 as a way to work through my own grief. I wanted to write something that got at something true about ancestry and love: the ones we love deeply are always with us in some capacity. I also wanted to write a book with two marginalized people finding comfort in one another. 

The book is plotted so meticulously, worded so precisely. Did you know from the beginning the format this book would take?

Thank you! Yes, I knew the novel would be in verse, that the main character was named Moth and she would (metaphorically) go through the life cycle of a moth: egg (trapped), caterpillar (road trip/growth), cocoon (safe haven/Navajo Nation) and moth (self-discovery). That idea was very clear before I wrote the first poem.

Did you need to do much research into the spiritual beliefs of the two protagonists?

I had to do research for Sani's character, but I had a wonderful resource in my aunt, who is Navajo, and in our sensitivity reader. Getting the Navajo creation stories as authentic as possible was very important to me. For Moth it was less research and more remembering, I practice Hoodoo and many people in my family practice too, so it was a lot of exchanging ideas. Hoodoo, which is an African American spiritual practice, differs from region to region so I spent time researching the differences and similarities in different areas of the United States. The spiritual beliefs of Sani and Moth are steeped in the oral tradition, most of these stories and beliefs are not written down anywhere--I had to go straight to the source and have a long talk.

What are you hoping readers will take away from Me (Moth)?

It's hard to articulate, I hope readers get a feeling, that goosebumps-might-cry feeling, but not because something is simply hard, sad or difficult, but because it represents life, which is complicated, vast and filled with possibility. I hope readers finish Me (Moth) and remember that love (in all of its forms) is endless and vast.

Do you have work in progress?

Yes! I have another novel in verse coming out in January 2023 called We Are All So Good at Smiling. The novel investigates clinical depression though the lens of a haunted garden. I also have a middle-grade novel (a bit more vague on this one) coming out in fall 2023 and an adult poetry collection in 2024.

I am also writing a Hoodoo fantasy series which I am very excited about!

Is there anything else you'd like to tell Shelf Awareness readers?

I always end up quoting Moth on questions like this, but thank you for reading this interview. I offer you a gift, an iron to smooth the creases that wrinkle up your spirit. Please know that I am always wishing you wellness and joy. --Siân Gaetano, children's/YA editor, Shelf Awareness

The opportunities and challenges presented in 2021 for the French bookselling market were explored by European and International Booksellers Federation co-president Jean-Luc Treutenaere of the Syndicat des Distributeurs de Loisirs Culturels, along with EIBF board members Anne Martelle of the Syndicat de la Librairie Française and Nina Stavisky of the Association des Librairies Informatisées & Utilisatrices de Réseaux Electroniques. Among their observations:

"After a turbulent 2020, many bookshop customers in France returned to stores last year, driving an increase in sales of about 20%. However, the results are not only a matter of chance or opportunity, but they highlight the hard work of the whole book chain. During this period, booksellers invested in scaling up their digital services--for example, in the past two years, we have seen a rise of 1,500% in online sales for independent booksellers--as well as setting up click and collect units and providing diverse operations to engage their customers....

"One of the major political highlights for independent booksellers in France in 2021 was the adoption of the law introducing a minimum shipping fee for selling books.... New year also brings new challenges, with many opportunities ahead for French booksellers, including: 

• The rise of digital and audio books, on which traditional booksellers have poor, or no, offer and market share
• The access to large libraries through subscription (Kobo, Amazon Unlimited, Youboox, Youscribe, etc)
• The purchase of Hachette (largest French publisher and sixth largest on the planet) by Vivendi (Editis, second largest publisher in France). This could lead to a 'mega publishing and distribution house,' with between 40% and 60% of some bookstores' or chains' revenues
• The technical and accounting challenges of implementing dematerialised invoicing in all French companies, which will bring about profound changes in the way we manage our businesses

"Still, we are very confident for the year ahead, ready to welcome our customers and help them discover the treasures in our inventories."

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CNN asked bookstores, publishers and industry professionals for their insights about how the Philippines book industry has coped during the last two years, noting: "According to publishers, the demand for books only increased as the letters changed in our community quarantines. Many of them met some difficulty in maintaining a steady supply of stock."

Jennifer Javier, Penguin Random House associate sales director for Southeast Asia, said: "Capacity issues at some of the printing companies have added complexity to meeting the surging demand for print books, which are seeing unprecedented levels of popularity. With limited raw materials and downsized presses, the books supply chain was left unprepared for this unexpected demand."

Mt. Cloud Bookshop in Baguio "also found it difficult to acquire books from their suppliers. Located up in the sky within the Cordillera Central mountain range, the bookstore saw major publishing houses in NCR shift to a skeletal workforce, which added to the challenge brought upon by geography," CNN noted.

"We found that we were able to attend to and get more books directly from authors or from smaller publications during the lockdowns," said co-owner Feliz Perez. "Our local book suppliers were still able to visit the shop or bring their stock to us throughout the pandemic with little changes."

Despite having 62.86 million pesos (about $1.2 million) from their 2020 budget redirected to the government's Covid response, the National Book Development Board "was still able to organize 53 initiatives for the country's book industry, according to their 2020 State of the Book Publishing Industry report. Their Local Book Publishing Industry Development Program covered all bases, from webinars and workshops to grants and incentives to research and policy development," CNN wrote.

"NBDB has been very helpful not only in terms of promoting and championing Filipino authors, but also in making sure that independent bookshops and publishers get financial and moral support from the government," said Kristian Sendon Cordero, deputy director of the Ateneo de Naga University Press and owner of independent bookstore and art space Savage Mind in Naga.

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In the U.K., Andy and Victoria Rossiter plan to open a fourth branch of Rossiter Books. The Bookseller reported that the couple launched their first bookshop in Ross-on-Wye in 2010, adding shops in Monmouth 18 months later, and then in Leominster in 2018. The new shop will be located on Montpellier Street in Cheltenham.

Due to open in mid-March, the new space is 1,000 square feet spread over two floors. "Like its sister shops, the branch will carry a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, as well as having a strong selection of children's books. The Rossiters plan to roll out a program of events in Cheltenham, using local venues to welcome authors throughout the year. They are also currently recruiting new booksellers to work alongside themselves and existing team members," the Bookseller noted.

"We are excited to be opening our fourth branch and to be bringing Rossiter Books to this vibrant part of Cheltenham," said Andy Rossiter, who is also president of the Booksellers Association. "We hope the new shop will be a great addition to the other independent retailers in Montpellier." --Robert Gray

Bank Square Books, Mystic, Conn., posted on Instagram: "Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? Nah--Seven Layers of a Bookseller. We've got some great cozy day reads and mugs for warm tea! Come on in!"

Simon & Schuster will handle worldwide trade book sales and retail distribution for TKO Studios, effective February 1.

TKO Studios publishes comics, graphic novels, and literature, notably Djeliya by Juni Ba; The Banks by Roxane Gay and Ming Doyle; Sentient by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Walta; Sara by Garth Ennis and Steve Epting; and Graveneye by Sloane Leong and Anna Bowles. Upcoming titles include Brood X by Joshua Dysart with M.K. Perker and One Eye Open by Alex Grecian with Andrea Mutti, both of which will be published under the new TKO Rogue literary imprint.

Tze Chun, TKO Studios president and co-founder, said, "We're excited for this partnership with Simon & Schuster to dramatically expand the reach of our extensive, bestselling catalog and bring TKO titles to the attention of an even wider range of retailers and fans around the world."

Gaby Paez has been promoted to school & library marketing associate at Abrams Children's Books.

Tía Fortuna's New Home: A Jewish Cuban Journey by Ruth Behar, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth (Knopf Books for Young Readers).

Locksmith Animation (Ron's Gone Wrong) has optioned Marissa Meyer's novel series the Lunar Chronicles for film, Deadline reported. The series, published by Feiwel and Friends, includes Cinder (2012), Scarlet (2013), Cress (2014) and Winter (2015).

"We are huge Marissa Meyer fans and cannot wait to bring Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter to a worldwide audience through the talents of our extraordinary team," said Locksmith Animation CEO Natalie Fischer. "This unforgettable series has garnered huge praise and popularity and we are determined to give this material the treatment it deserves."

Co-founder and president of production Julie Lockhart said, "Marissa's books successfully turn well known fairy tales into an epic, modern saga that will be engaging and relevant to today's audiences."

Meyer added: "Everyone has shown so much enthusiasm for these books and characters, and hearing about Locksmith's vision for the project gives me the best kind of chills. I am as eager as readers are to see Cinder, Prince Kai, and the rest of the Rampion Crew brought to life with stunning animation, and a lot of love!"

The Association of Jewish Libraries has announced the winners of the 2022 Sydney Taylor Book Awards:

Picture Book: The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel, illustrated by Sean Rubin (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House)
Middle Grade: How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani (Kokila)
Young Adult: The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros (Inkyard Press)

In addition, Jane Yolen is the winner of the Body-of-Work Award. To see the full list of winners, honor books and notable books, click here.

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In its second year, the Gotham Book Prize, which honors books that either are about New York City or set in New York City, has announced finalists for the 2022 prize, which carries an award of $50,000:

New York, New York: Four Decades of Success, Excess & Transformation by Tom Dyja
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliott
Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993 by Sarah Schulman
Astrid Sees All by Natalie Standiford
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
When We Make It by Elizabeth Velasquez
Ghosts of New York by Jim Lewis
Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge

photo: Erin Pellegrino

Amanda Pellegrino is a TV screenwriter and novelist living in New York City whose writing has appeared in Refinery29 and Bustle. Smile and Look Pretty (Park Row Books; March 8, 2022) is her debut novel, a fast-paced millennial rallying cry about the consequences of whistleblowing for an entire generation.

On your nightstand now:

Most books on my nightstand right now are research for work or for my second novel, things like Amity and Prosperity by Eliza Griswold, The Boom by Russell Gold, Educated by Tara Westover, Cultish by Amanda Montell and The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr. The second I'm finished drafting my book, I'm really excited to dive into The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz and We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza.

Favorite book when you were a child:

I was obsessed with everything Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans when I was really young. I read the books until the pages were torn and had half a dozen little redheaded Madeline dolls. I also read all of the Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne, and when I was in middle school, I loved the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter about an all-girls boarding school for spies. I'm still convinced I'd make a fantastic spy.

Your top five authors:

This is constantly changing, so for today: Jessica Knoll, Gillian Flynn, Erik Larson, Jennifer Egan, Colson Whitehead.

Book you've faked reading:

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I love this book and think the writing is exquisite but for some reason I can only ever get through the first hundred pages.

Book you're an evangelist for:

I re-read On Writing by Stephen King at least once a year, or when I'm feeling stuck and like writers' block has completely taken over. It has helped 100% of the time.

Book you've bought for the cover:

I read the hardcover of The Assistants by Camille Perri, but I also bought the paperback when it came out because I loved that version of the cover so much.

Book you hid from your parents:

I don't think I've ever hid a book from my parents. My mom has always read whatever books we were assigned at school or were interested in. We had a pretty shared library in our house growing up.

Book that changed your life:

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. I read this book in two days and re-read it at least once a year. I've also listened to it and think the audiobook narrator does a fantastic job. I find it to be a perfect example of an unlikeable female character who you root for because she's incredibly sympathetic. You end up loving Ani FaNelli the same way you love Don Draper or Dexter Morgan and I hadn't quite seen that in many female characters before. It made me want to write characters like Ani FaNelli who are deeply flawed and allowed to be multi-faceted like all the male characters I've ever read.

Favorite line from a book:

I think often about a line from This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper: "My marriage ended the way these things do: with paramedics and cheesecake."

Five books you'll never part with:

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
Room by Emma Donoghue
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll.

Debut novelist Melissa Fu draws on her family's history to create a captivating story of immigration, family secrets and deep love in Peach Blossom Spring. Fu begins her narrative in 1938, as the Japanese army advances in China. Meilin, a young mother working in her father-in-law's antiques shop, is forced to flee to the countryside with her young son, Renshu, and her husband's family. Hidden in Meilin's luggage is an elaborate hand scroll featuring vividly drawn scenes from myth and history. The scroll and its stories bring comfort to Meilin and Renshu as they travel through often dangerous conditions, searching for safety. Eventually settling in Taiwan, the two build a new life for themselves, though it is marked by grief and always shadowed by the possibility of further upheaval.

Diligent and serious-minded, Renshu does well in his studies, eventually earning a place at a university in the U.S. Fu chronicles Renshu's adjustment to life in a new land, his reinvention of himself as Henry Dao, and the casual racism and surprising acceptance he finds in the Midwest. His eventual career as a Cold War-era physicist leads him to Los Alamos, N.Mex., where he and his American wife settle down and raise their daughter, Lily. When Lily starts asking questions about her Chinese heritage, Henry finds himself reluctant to answer her queries, even angered by them. Meanwhile, Meilin has lived quietly for many years in Taiwan, making the long journey to spend a summer with Henry and his family only once.

Fu writes sensitively about the concerns of multiple generations of immigrant families: the daily needs of survival during traumatic times, the fierce determination to protect one's children and give them better opportunities, the difficulties of sharing a family history that includes so much pain. While Meilin cannot protect Renshu from the hardships they face, she does her best to lighten the days with stories and affection. Years later, Renshu--now Henry--finds it difficult to share any of his own past with Lily, wanting to shield her from pain. Meilin and Lily, while they enjoy one another's company, are hampered by the barriers of language and context. Fu's thoughtful third-person narration gives readers a sense of all three characters' perspectives, as well as a slice of modern Chinese history.

Richly described, with deeply compassionate protagonists, Peach Blossom Spring is a haunting tribute to immigrant families and a gorgeous meditation on how stories can shape identity. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams

Shelf Talker: Debut novelist Melissa Fu's captivating story of a Chinese-Taiwanese-American immigrant family is a gorgeous meditation on stories and identity.