Last month the Book Barn in Leavenworth, Kan., received an early
holiday gift. The store was selected as the winner in a contest held by
Peachtree Publishers to promote the publication of Christmas in the Trenches
by John McCutcheon and illustrated by Henri Sorensen. The Book Barn won
a free concert by McCutcheon--a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and
musician--for the community. The event is scheduled to take place in
April. "It was wonderful, and we were shocked and surprised when we
won," said Bob Spear, who owns the Book Barn with his wife, Barbara.
According to Peachtree, the contest recognizes an independent bookstore "for exceptional community involvement. . . . The Book Barn reached out to the residents in the military town of Leavenworth, KS (pop. 35,000) in ways that best exemplify the spirit of Christmas in the Trenches." McCutcheon's book, which comes with a CD of songs and a reading of the tale, recreates the Christmas Truce of 1914, when during World War I, British and German soldiers spontaneously laid down their arms and celebrated Christmas together on the battlefield.
The Spears' efforts in their town have included organizing book drives for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as hosting free interactive educational events at the store on topics such as the Civil War, the Underground Railroad and World War II.
The seasonal spirit seems to have influenced sales at the Book Barn, where holiday-themed titles are among the top sellers. "That's not always the case," said Spear. Nearly 20 books are on display in a section of the store where volumes are rotated to tie in with holidays such as Valentine's Day or Easter. "We find it reminds people that a holiday is coming up," said Spear. "It's a strange phenomenon we've noticed over the years."
Two children's fiction titles are among the holiday-themed handsells--The Blacksmith's Gift and The Orphan's Promise, written by local author and former Hallmark executive Dan T. Davis. Other titles in the category recommended by Spear (who describes them on his blog Bob's Book Blurbs) include The Polar Express and Madeline's Christmas, along with classics such as The Little Match Girl and A Child's Christmas in Wales. Also selling strongly at the Book Barn is the children's series Discover America State by State, a 51-volume alphabetic tour of the United States from Sleeping Bear Press.
Here is a sampling of some of Spear's recommended titles:
The Book Barn held a Christmas open house on December 2 with two local authors headlining the festivities: Lisa Harkrader and Marci Penner. Harkrader's latest book is the teen fiction title Airball: My Life in Briefs, a take on The Emperor's New Clothes set in a small Kansas town. Marci Penner is "the guru of places to go in Kansas," said Spear. Her book The Kansas Guidebook for Explorers is a popular gift-giving choice among the Book Barn's customers who perhaps are looking to inspire recipients to follow in Penner's footsteps. Penner spent two years logging more than 40,000 miles to discover interesting, out-of-the-way places across the state.
Attendees at the open house were served homemade chili and other fare, and people who spent $10 or more received a free Christmas ornament. Between signings, customers were treated to live jazz with Spear on guitar and his musical partner playing the violin.
The Book Barn is expecting its share of last-minute shoppers this week rather than the last few days leading up to Christmas. "We're almost at the peak, and it's already starting to taper off a bit," said Spear. "Because we have so many people here aligned with the military, people buy gifts early and ship them out."--Shannon McKenna
According to Peachtree, the contest recognizes an independent bookstore "for exceptional community involvement. . . . The Book Barn reached out to the residents in the military town of Leavenworth, KS (pop. 35,000) in ways that best exemplify the spirit of Christmas in the Trenches." McCutcheon's book, which comes with a CD of songs and a reading of the tale, recreates the Christmas Truce of 1914, when during World War I, British and German soldiers spontaneously laid down their arms and celebrated Christmas together on the battlefield.
The Spears' efforts in their town have included organizing book drives for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as hosting free interactive educational events at the store on topics such as the Civil War, the Underground Railroad and World War II.
The seasonal spirit seems to have influenced sales at the Book Barn, where holiday-themed titles are among the top sellers. "That's not always the case," said Spear. Nearly 20 books are on display in a section of the store where volumes are rotated to tie in with holidays such as Valentine's Day or Easter. "We find it reminds people that a holiday is coming up," said Spear. "It's a strange phenomenon we've noticed over the years."
Two children's fiction titles are among the holiday-themed handsells--The Blacksmith's Gift and The Orphan's Promise, written by local author and former Hallmark executive Dan T. Davis. Other titles in the category recommended by Spear (who describes them on his blog Bob's Book Blurbs) include The Polar Express and Madeline's Christmas, along with classics such as The Little Match Girl and A Child's Christmas in Wales. Also selling strongly at the Book Barn is the children's series Discover America State by State, a 51-volume alphabetic tour of the United States from Sleeping Bear Press.
Here is a sampling of some of Spear's recommended titles:
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. "This is a soul-touching hoot about the family of community thugs who take over the Christmas pageant at church and give it a very different perspective."
- The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado and illustrated by Liz Bonham. This "nativity story about a crippled lamb who cannot go with the other sheep to a different pasture and is left behind to warm the Christ Child upon his birth is a touching favorite for young children. It teaches we all have worth and purpose, even if we don't yet know what they are."
- Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick. "Incredible" with "startling and beautiful" photos. In this winter wonderland of a book, wildlife photographers Carl Sams and Jean Stoick capture the reactions of animals and birds to the snowman who appeared in their midst after a storm.
- A Cup of Christmas Tea and A Memory of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg and illustrated by Warren Hanson. "Unless you hate having your heartstrings tugged," Spear recommends these two books. "Both are about the benefits and importance of communicating with older and younger generations, reliving old memories and making new ones."
The Book Barn held a Christmas open house on December 2 with two local authors headlining the festivities: Lisa Harkrader and Marci Penner. Harkrader's latest book is the teen fiction title Airball: My Life in Briefs, a take on The Emperor's New Clothes set in a small Kansas town. Marci Penner is "the guru of places to go in Kansas," said Spear. Her book The Kansas Guidebook for Explorers is a popular gift-giving choice among the Book Barn's customers who perhaps are looking to inspire recipients to follow in Penner's footsteps. Penner spent two years logging more than 40,000 miles to discover interesting, out-of-the-way places across the state.
Attendees at the open house were served homemade chili and other fare, and people who spent $10 or more received a free Christmas ornament. Between signings, customers were treated to live jazz with Spear on guitar and his musical partner playing the violin.
The Book Barn is expecting its share of last-minute shoppers this week rather than the last few days leading up to Christmas. "We're almost at the peak, and it's already starting to taper off a bit," said Spear. "Because we have so many people here aligned with the military, people buy gifts early and ship them out."--Shannon McKenna