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!

I've Moved Blogs

Hello readers!

As you can see, I'm no longer updating my Bookshop Gal blog.

I'm now blogging at:  http://planetparenting.blogspot.com.


Please stop by and check out my new Planet Parenting blog!

Thanks,
Dara Dokas

Minnesota Book Award Finalists

The Finalists for the Minnesota Book Awards have been announced!

Here are the Finalists in the categories of Children's Literature and Young People's Literature:

Children's Literature

- BookSpeak! Poems About Books by Laura Purie Salas and illustrated by Josee Bisaillon.

- Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships by Catherine Thimmesh.

- The Last Day of Kindergarten by Nancy Loewen and illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa.

- Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beth Krommes.

Young People's Literature

- The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman

- The Books of Elsewhere: Spellbound by Jacqueline West

- The Tanglewood Terror by Kurtis Scaletta

- With or Without You by Brain Farrey

One Man (Woman) Down

Four main people work at Micawber's. The two owners - Tom and Hans. Karen, who has been there since the beginning, and me. Plus, Tom's son Max helps out occasionally.

This makeup of people works pretty well. We have enough people to cover every shirt, plus times to work together.

Except every other January.

Karen spends the month of January in England every other year. Her husband is a professor of technical theater and brings a group of students to London for a month of study and fun. Karen goes along to participate and help chaperone. It's very cool.

But, this means we're down to three people (plus Max) at the store. This makes scheduling tricky. And it's rare that we get to work with anyone else.

This is a real challenge to small businesses everywhere.

Tom once said, "The biggest challenge to a small business is illness." (And vacation, I would add.) When someone calls in sick, it's not always easy to cover that shift.

This January, if one of us needs a day off, the other two have to work.

What this all comes down to is being flexible and willing to compromise.

Working with a slim staff has it's challenges, of course. But it also has it's benefits. We know each other very well. We can help each other out in a pinch. And we trust that everyone is committed to the store and doing a good job. Everyone has a little ownership in the endeavor.

And that is the biggest benefit to a small business.

Inventory Day

Today was Inventory Day at the bookstore. This is the day - once a year - when we count every book in the store.

Since we're very "old school," we have paper tally sheets and clipboards. We write down the price and how many books there are at that price. It's labor intensive to say the least. Luckily, we have about 15 volunteers helping us each year.

Today, it took about 5 hours to inventory the entire store. That is, it took 5 hours to write down the number of books and their prices. Now it will take WEEKS to add up all the tally sheets and reach the total.

I'm glad Inventory Day only happens once a year!

A Quiet Week

It's that weird week between Christmas and New Years.

Last week, leading up to Christmas, was a madhouse. In a good way. We were completely busy and it felt exciting and crazy at the same time. I love the busyness and energy of the holiday shopping season.

But I also love the quiet that comes after.

Yesterday, the day after Christmas, was quiet. The bookstore and I breathed a little deeper. People came in. We talked, just a bit. They browsed. It was leisurely. And nice.

Obviously, too much "leisurely" business would be very bad. But after the sometimes frenetic pace of holiday shopping, this week between Christmas and New Years is a nice change of pace.

Here's what I'm reading:

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise, by Julia Stuart, is a novel set in the Tower of London, about a Beefeater, his wife, and their 180 year-old pet tortoise. Someone has to look after the menagerie of exotic animals given to the Queen. It's Balthazar Jones' job to do so.

Did you know people actually live in the Tower of London? Would you want to, with all it's be-heading history?

Plus, as a side note, if you ever have a pet tortoise, or parrot, remember to bequeath them to a worthy person in your will. They will outlive you.

Rockin and Rollin

Things have been Rockin and Rollin at the bookstore lately.

Things had better be Rockin and Rollin this time of year, or there's trouble.

Small, independent bookstores make a huge portion of their income during the holiday season. It's really very fun and amazing to see.

Grandparents looking for books for their grandkids. Adults choosing books for their parents. Kids picking up the book they want for Christmas and saying, "It's here. This is the one!"

Since I'm the main kid book buyer, I love helping people pick out the "perfect" book for their child, grandchild, niece, nephew, neighbor, etc.

We all have our favorite books that we love to hand-sell. But, I try to listen closely before making any suggestions.

What age is the child?

What does he/she like to read?

What about fantasy? Sports?

What would you say the child's reading level is? Beginning? Advanced?

What about content? Can he/she handle some scary stuff?

and on and on.

Then, with this information, I create a picture of the child in my mind. And try to pick out the "perfect" book to suggest.

Home for the Holidays

I'm very glad to report that December is hopping at Micawber's so far! The first Saturday of each December is "Shop Home for the Holidays" in our neighborhood. All the local shops have special events and sales. Plus, there's a very cool sale with items by local artists. It's all very festive.

At Micawber's, the local elementary school is involved on the first Saturday. They provide treats and gift wrap books. They advertise to parents at the school and the school gets a percentage of the day's sales. Typically, this day is one of our biggest days of the year.

Here are a few of the Hot Sellers from this past Saturday:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick.

Despite the fact that this is not a new book, Hugo Cabret has been hot this season. With the publication of Wonderstruck (also by Brian Selznick) and the release of Hugo, the movie, we have seen a resurgence of interest in this novel.

On the adult side, we've been selling a lot of The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach.

This is an "expansive, warm-hearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendships and love, and about commitment to oneself and others." But, really, it's a book about baseball.

One of my favorite new books this season is Twelve Owls, by Laura Erickson.

I adore the woodcut illustrations by Betsy Bowen, and owls are awesome, so what's not to love about this book? Twelve Owls features, you guessed it, twelve different kinds of owls that inhabit Minnesota including the Barn owl, the Great horned owl, and the tiny, Northern Saw-whet owl. This book is great for older children and adults.

Tuck Everlasting

Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt was one of my favorite middle-grade novels when I was growing up.

It has magic, romance, danger and a little philosophy. Although, what I really liked at the time was the little romance.

Winnie Foster is a ten year-old girl who is sheltered and mostly left alone. She meets the Tuck family, who drank from a magic spring and will now live forever.

A stranger shows up wanting to find the magic spring and market it for his own gain. And the Tuck's are in danger.

In the end, Winnie must decide if she will drink from the spring and live forever. Or will she choose to live a regular, finite life?

What would it mean to live forever? Babbitt subtly asks, "Is this a gift or a curse?"

The reader is the one who must decide.

Top 50 Book Project

In August, Hans, one of the co-owners of Micawber's began a project to gather a list of the Top 50 Books that independent booksellers love to hand-sell or just love in general.

It all began when a customer asked Hans to tell her 10 of his Top 100 books. Unknown to the customer, this simple question has led to something much larger. Hans has now collected over 50 lists from booksellers around the country.

The vast majority of books listed are adult titles, but there are some children's books included in the Top 50 lists. To see the complete lists, visit Han's Micawber's Blog.

Here's a sample of some of the children's Top 50 book titles:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Good Night, Good Night Construction Site by Tom Lichtenheld

Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Time for Bed by Mem Fox

We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

What are some of your favorite children's books of all time?

The Book of Three - High Fantasy Classic

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander is one of my favorite fantasy novels for middle grade readers. It's the first book in the Prydain Chronicles series which consists of:

The Book of Three

The Black Cauldron

The Castle of Llyr

Taran Wanderer

The High King

This series is what I call High Fantasy. Think Lord of the Rings for younger kids. High Fantasy includes good vs. evil, hero quests, a medieval- like setting, and classic characters like witches, wizards, dragons and elves. There are no vampires or werewolves here.

Tarran, our young hero, goes from Assistant Pig Farmer to High King. Kids can relate to Taran's struggles and trials along the way, even if their own challenges take a very different form.

The Book of Three, and the entire Prydain Chronicles series, is especially good for boys, girls, and adults, who are smart and love classic, good vs. evil stories.

Plus, there's a giant cat. Who wouldn't want to ride around on a giant cat?

I Want My Hat Back

Here's a new picture book by Jon Klassen called, I WANT MY HAT BACK, that will appeal to kids and parents, especially the snarky ones.

I WANT MY HAT BACK seems straight-forward and cute. A big bear wants his pointed, red hat back. It's missing and he sets off to find it. He asks an array of other animals if they've seen his hat. Makes sense. It's like a classic, cumulative tale that builds toward a satisfying end. But what an end!

Random House, the publisher, calls the end a "mischievous twist." It's mischievous alright. In fact, it's so surprising and funny, as in adults will think it's funny, that kids might miss it entirely. You can point out the twist to your kids, if you want to. Or just enjoy the juicy little twist yourself.

I highly recommend I WANT MY HAT BACK, especially if you appreciate subtle, sly humor.

New Books from MN Authors

Every fall there's a new crop of great children's books by Minnesota authors. Here's a list of some of my favorites:

BookSpeak! by Laura Purdie Salas. This awesomely illustrated book is filled with poems about books themselves.

Hello, Minnesota! by Constance Van Hoven. Through the use of opposites, this sweet board book is a fun visit to all things Minnesotan.

The Tanglewood Terror by Kurtis Scaletta. This middle-grade novel is a mushroom mystery. Why are there so many glowing mushrooms sprouting up everywhere. And will they take over the town?

Love of the Game by John Coy. Here's the newest addition to Coy's middle grade series about four friends who love to play sports. This one's about football.

Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman. This beautiful picture book explores swirl patterns in nature like snail shells and fiddleheads.

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson. This 2009 Caldecott winner is now out in a board book format. Not all picture books work well as board books, but this one does. Happily.

Unforgettable by Loretta Ellsworth. This young adult novel is about a boy who remembers everything. Literally. Every event, every word, every number he's ever seen. Could this be a blessing or a curse?

Good Fall Reads

It's definitely Fall - school's back in session, the leaves are turning and falling to the ground, & soon it will be Halloween.

Here is a photo of the "Books for Fall" table I put together recently at Micawber's. It includes one of my all-time favorites, OWL BABIES by Martin Waddell. It also features a new book by my friend David LaRochelle, THE HAUNTED HAMBURGER and OTHER GHOSTLY TALES.

THE HAUNTED HAMBURGER is about two little ghosts who won't go to bed and the spooky ghost stories their father tells them.

While the little ghosts find the stories scary, your child won't. They are funny and goofy. For example, can a ghost be used as a diaper? You'll have to read the book to find out!

Press Here

Instead of being a lift-the-flap, scratch & sniff, pop-up, or a screen-driven iPad book, PRESS HERE by Herve Tullet is an interactive book that is entirely text and illustration driven. The simplicity and beauty of it is like a breath of fresh air.

With a simple yellow dot in the middle of a white page and the text suggestion "press here," children reach out with their finger and touch the dot. Then with a page turn, they see the result of their interaction. Now there are two yellow dots on the page.

With the press of a finger children can "magically" change the yellow dot to red, multiply the dots, or make them grow larger.

Chronicle Books, one of my favorite publishers, has done it again. They've published a creative, unique book for children that is as fun for adults as it is for kids.

Windy Day

Yesterday was extremely windy in the Twin Cities.

At Micawber's we have two potted mums in front of the store.

I was watching the wild wind outside, when suddenly, one of the mum plants flew right out of the pot, root ball and all!

Talk about crazy windy.

(I bet you can tell which mum went for the ride.)

The Slayer Chronicles First Kill

This past week I was fortunate to hear author Heather Brewer speak at a booksellers' breakfast.

Brewer is the author of the popular, young adult series The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. Her newest book is the first in a new series, The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill, which is a spin-off of her Tod series.

Vladimir Tod is part vampire, but not the confident, sparkly kind. He isn't all that excited about being a vampire. Very few people know he's a vampire and his aunt brings him expired bags of donated blood so he doesn't have to kill anything. Really, he's an almost-regular kid trying to survive junior and senior high school.

Heather Brewer, the author, shared her experience of being constantly bullied and disliked throughout her school years. Even her dreams of wanting to be an author were squelched at every turn. Coming from a very small town in Michigan where everyone worked in an auto factory or as a waitress, wanting to be an author seemed unthinkable and unreachable.

Fortunately, Brewer found a safe haven at the public library. It was the only "bully-free zone" in town. But it wasn't until later, when one person - her husband - encouraged her to follow her dreams that she finally felt able to do so. And she did, in spades!

Brewer's latest book, The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill will fill in the "gaps" in the Vladimir Tod series. While Vladimir Tod takes place during the school years, The Slayer Chronicles take place during the summers in between. It will be fun for fans of Vladimir Tod to complete the story with The Slayer Chronicles, one summer at a time.

Wonderstruck

As Children's Book Buyer at Micawber's Books, I talk with Sales Reps from different publishers, either in person or on the phone.

Today I'm meeting with our fabulous Scholastic Kids rep, Terribeth. She's from Kentucky and travels all the way to Minnesota to sell us books. Since Terribeth reps Scholastic books, I want to highlight a great new Scholastic title for kids.

WONDERSTRUCK is the newest book by Brian Selznick. It's the intersecting story of Ben and Rose, told 50 years apart. Ben, who is deaf, follows clues about his father's identity all the way to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Rose's story, told in pictures, also ends up at the museum where the two stories intersect in a surprising way.

Like THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, Selznick's Caldecott-winning earlier novel, WONDERSTRUCK is 600+ pages of text and beautiful illustration. And like the earlier novel, WONDERSTRUCK is sure to be a beloved bestseller!