Last month, Anne Mancilla, a recently retired teacher, opened Explore! The Book Store, Clifton Springs, N.Y., in a building that MPNnow.com reported "has been a bookstore for more than 100 years. [Mancilla] recalls growing up in the village and buying the Sunday newspaper at the Devereaux Book Store. That shop originally opened in 1880 and was purchased in the 1920s by Richard Devereaux Sr. After his death in 1945, his wife and children continued operating it until the early 1990s. It has held a variety of retail establishments since then, and a sign announcing 'The Book Store,' spelled out in black-and-white tiles on the threshold, has never disappeared."
Explore! sells new and used books and is located at 18 E. Main St., Clifton Springs, N.Y. 14432; 315-521-0832.
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Congratulations to King's Books, Tacoma, Wash., one of three winners of the Tacoma Arts Commission's 2008 AMOCAT Arts Awards, which recognize "community members' vision, dedication and action in creating a lively arts community in Tacoma."
King's Books won in the "Community Outreach by an Organization" category for its "work with community organizations to host a wide variety of artistic and cultural events, becoming a central force of activity. King's Books showcases the letterpress and book arts community, hosts frequent author and poetry readings, raises money for public schools and libraries, assists local organizations with fundraising and provides a venue for other literary and cultural events year-round."
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Classics Used and Rare Books, Trenton, N.J., owned by Eric Maywar, was named business of the year by the Trenton Council of Civic Associations. NJ.com reported that the bookshop earned its award "because of the variety of programs it hosts that have drawn the community into the bookstore."
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The Cape Cod Times
unearthed some bookselling wisdom for our times to highlight its report
on NEIBA's fall trade show: "Apparently, there's an old saying that in
a tough economy, booze and books continue to sell. The former, because
people don't stop drinking no matter what, and the latter because books
represent a purchase of lasting value, plus you can find anything in
the world within the covers of a book . . ."
"We sell the
experience," said Caitlin Doggart, co-owner of Where the Sidewalk Ends
bookstore, Chatham, Mass. "The whole experience of coming in is
pleasurable. People can buy books anywhere, but the attraction of
independent booksellers is the energy."
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"Some business owners have customers. Jo Kassabaum has friends who happen to spend money at her store," observed the Tampa Tribune in its profile of the Book Shack, Dade City, Fla., and Kassabaum, who has owned the business for 29 years.
"My
sister-in-law had a book store in Waukesha, Wis.," said Kassabaum. "We
were talking one evening, and she said she had some extra books. She
said, 'If you have a place to open a store, I'll send them to you if
you pay the shipping.' She sent me 9,000 books. She hadn't discovered
sidewalk sales yet."
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Scieszka @ NBF No. 1: Dick, Jane & Sally early reader books
as scifi? Children's author Jon Scieszka told his audience at the
National Book Festival that when he was a child, he became intrigued by
"strange books at school about an 'alien' family," according to the Associated Press.
"There
was a boy, two girls, a mom and a dad and they talked in the weirdest
way," he said. "Instead of saying 'Hey, look at that dog,' they would
say 'Look. Look. See the dog. That is a dog.'" Scieszka assumed these
strange aliens must fear they would forget each other's names, since
they kept repeating them: "So if Jane didn't see the dog, Dick would
say 'Look, Jane, look. There is the dog next to Sally, Jane. . . . The
dog is next to father, Jane. Ha. Ha. Ha.'"
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Scieszka @ NBF No. 2: What do boys want to read? The Washington Post
shared some National Book Festival observations from our author du
jour: "'We've had this problem with boys not achieving and reading for
a long
time,' Scieszka says, noting that although we're generalizing about
boys, there are always exceptions. 'For the longest time, you couldn't
even say boys and girls were different. It was taboo in the educational
world.' But different they are, biologically and socially, he asserts.
Boys need 'move time,' which they're getting less and less of in school
these days. 'That's how they're built,' he says."
Scieszka also told the Post that "the biggest change we can all make in giving boys a love of reading is
to expand our definition of reading beyond fiction. . . . [Boys would] rather read
nonfiction or humor, graphic novels, science fiction, action adventure,
audio books, or online reading and magazines."
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Bridget Marmion, senior v-p and director of marketing of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's trade and reference division, is becoming chair of the Association of American Publishers's trade publishers executive committee.
She succeeds Bob Miller, president of HarperStudio, who has been chair since 2002. AAP president and CEO Pat Schroeder praised Miller for his "commitment and leadership."
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Tim Brazier has joined Kaplan Publishing as publicity director. He was formerly publicity manager at Basic Books and began his career in publicity at HarperCollins.
Brett Sandusky has joined Kaplan Publishing as marketing manager. He has been a marketing manager in publishing in the U.S. and abroad, most recently at Shared Marketing Service. He holds a graduate degree in comparative literature from the Sorbonne.
In a statement, Michelle Patterson, Kaplan's executive director of marketing, said that Brazier and Sandusky were hired to "bring the sort of experience we need to match the new direction of our publishing program," which includes an increase in trade publishing, particularly in health, law and education.
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Effective January 1, Simon & Schuster will handle all sales, distribution and fulfillment for Cider Mill Press Book Publishers titles to trade and specialty accounts. Cider Mill is currently distributed by Sterling Publishing.
Founded in 2005 by John F. Whalen, Jr., an S&S and Running Press alumnus, Cider Mill Press, Kennebunkport, Me., has published nearly 100 titles, many of which are brand-name gift books. Last fall it launched Applesauce Press, a children's imprint, and will soon add the Cider Mill Audio line. Cider Mill has publishing partnerships with companies and brands such as Paramount Pictures, United Media and the Charles Schultz Estate, DC Comics, Archie Entertainment, Wham-O and Crayola Brands.
In a statement, Michael Selleck, S&S executive v-p, sales and marketing, said that the company's new client "has very quickly established itself as an enterprising new publisher with a highly desirable line of innovative gift books. Their adult, children's and audio titles are a perfect complement to our existing lists, and we will work very closely with them to expand their business."