Holiday Books for Kids

There's snow on the ground here in Minnesota.  The temperature tomorrow morning is going to be 1 degree below zero.  Brrr.  That's cold.

It's time to think about Winter Kids Books!

There are some great kids books out that are about Christmas, Hanukkah and Winter.  Here are a few of my favorites.


Animals Santa by Jan Brett is a beautifully illustrated book about Santa bringing gifts for everyone, including the animals.

Skippyjon Jones Snow What by Judy Schachner features everyone's favorite Siamese cat who thinks he's a Chihuahua in this fairy tale about winter.

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by James Dean and Eric Litwin is a fun re-telling of The Night Before Christmas featuring Pete the Cat.

Hanukkah Bear by Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka (local author/illustrator) is now a classic tale of Hanukkah and mistaken identity.

Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer (local author/illustrator) is a beautiful book about why winter is actually the warmest, coziest season of all.

Santa Clauses by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Chuck Groenink is a collection of short poems from the North Pole.

That's it for now, but there are many more great winter books.  If you live near by Micawber's, come on in and check out our selection of holiday/winter books for kids!

Getting Ready for the Holidays

Here at Micawber's we are getting ready for the holidays.

We are building up stock of new and favorite titles.

New Adult Books

From serious to funny, we have a lot of books in the store.  And more on the way!

Kid's Books

Some of my favorite clever/humorous books are:

Texts from Jane Eyre, by Mallory Ortberg

The texts from Hamlet are my daughter's particular favorite.

What If?, by Randall Munroe

Very clever and funny!  Real answers to absurd questions.

101 Two-Letter Words, by Stephin Merritt

Words like "Yo," "Aa" and "Xu."  Each word is accompanied by a four-line, rhyming poem.  This is perfect for Scrabble players in your life.  Plus, the illustrations are great!

This is just a sampling of the humorous books out this year.  If you have a person in your life who enjoys clever humor, maybe one of these books will fit the bill for a gift this holiday season.  Enjoy!

I'm Back at the Bookstore!

After a two-year absence, I am back at Micawber's Books and my Bookshop Gal blog!

I started again at the store in June and am happy to be back.  I missed the smell of the place - a combination of old wood and books.  I missed the camaraderie of working with Tom, the owner.  And I missed helping customers find the perfect book.

So, I back and ready to blog.

Here's a little of what's been going on at the store.

•  We had a tough summer.  Business was slow.  But things are looking up this fall.  We are feeling positive about the direction the store is headed.

• A month ago, there was an article in the Star Tribune about Micawber's and the tough times we've been through lately.  It focused on how the neighborhood and customers have rallied around the store, which is amazing!

• A result of the amazing ideas from neighbors and friends is a new event that takes place every Monday evening.  We call it Mondays @ Micawber's.  Every Monday from now through Christmas from 5:00 - 6:30 pm there is a Social Hour with wine and cheese and conversation with friends old and new.

Here's a picture from last Monday's get-together.

It was cozy and friendly inside the store on a cold night outside.

Here's a picture from the kid's section which has some great new books in for the season.

In particular, I am excited about Moo! by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka, which won the Minnesota Book Award this year and Rhoda's Rock Hunt, by Molly Beth Griffin, illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell.  These authors and illustrators are all from Minnesota, so it's especially fun to see their books on the tables at the store.

Now that I'm back, I'll post about new and forthcoming books that Tom and I are especially excited about.  I'll also post more pictures and answer your burning questions about life at an independent bookstore.

Thanks for joining in the fun!