Longtime bookseller Janet Parkinson Owens died December 25. She was 88. She owned Millrace Bookstore, Farmington, Conn., for 40 years until she closed it and retired in 2012. The Hartford Courant said that "her passion was to bring joy through the written word. She sponsored countless author parties, poetry readings, children's workshops and book fairs."
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Robert D. San Souci, who wrote more than 100 children's books and the story for the film Mulan, died on December 19, the Contra Costa Times reported. He was 68 and had been injured in a fall the week before.
San Souci wrote 12 books that were illustrated by his younger brother, Daniel San Souci, who said, "When we were young, my parents always said Bob would be the writer and I'd be the artist. When we graduated from college, we decided kids books would be the perfect medium. Our first book in 1978 [Legend of Scarface] won awards and opened the door for us. Anytime we worked together it was special."