Hurray, Hurray the first of May . . .

Hurray, Hurray the first of May!

You know what that means don’t you?

That’s right! It is International Buy Indie Day!

The idea is to buy one book – paperback, hardcover, or audio book

at an independent bookstore near you.

Who came up with this brilliant idea?

Bestselling author, Joseph Finder asked every person who loves books to buy one from an independent bookstore on Friday, May 1.

Since then hundreds have flocked to
facebook to RSVP

and to twitter their support

or include the event in their blog

or on their website.

So, where will you be today

and what will you be buying?

The Contest is On!

April is National Poetry Month . To celebrate BayShore Books is hosting Poem in Your Pocket Day on Thursday April 30th. All month long if you stop in the store and vote on who wrote a specific poem you can win a book of poetry.

I am now adding a new twist to this contest and opening it up to all of you loyal blog readers. I know many of you are hidden poets just dying to be discovered. Here is your chance! You have one week to submit a short original poem in the comments section. Please do not include your real name or contact information. After submitting the poem, email me with your poem title, name, and address. Next week you can vote on your favorite poem submitted. The winner will be able to choose one of a select book of poems. This is open to anyone in the US - children, teens and adults.

Good luck!

FREEDOM!

If you have been reading my rants for some time now, you are probably aware of how opinionated I am on certain subjects and how I’m not afraid to speak my mind even when I should probably keep my mouth shut.

You most likely are also aware of how I feel about censorship, so is it any surprise that I have a few things to say about what everyone is talking about? Actually, I don’t. I think Patrick at Vromans has said it all. Opinions?

Childhood Favorites

This morning I awoke tangled in strands of cotton batting. Maybe it is finally time to replace the quilt my mother made me about thirty years ago. Sometimes I find it difficult to forget items filled with childhood memories. Looking at my stock of children’s books, I’m not the only one.

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes was an Easter tradition in my house and still holds a special place in my heart. The illustrations alone bring me back to better days.

I remember trying to scare my little sister with The Monster at the End of This Book only to join in her giggles when we reached the end.

Before I knew it I moved on to Nancy Drew and The Boxcar Children. Times haven’t really changed that much, have they? Sure a few vampires have been added to the mix, but many children are still enjoying the same favorites their parents cherished.

How about you?

Do you have a favorite book from your childhood?

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

In Annie Get Your Gun , Annie Oakley and Frank Butler show their competitive sides as they sing the well-known song Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better. Does this include reading?

According to a recently released survey women read more than men. This didn’t really come as a surprise to me. It very well may start in childhood. Typically if you can get a youngster hooked on books at an early age, male or female, they will be hooked for life. The trick is finding a series that they will get caught up in and continue to read. Twilight did this for many. Plenty of customers have discovered the joy of reading with this series and have asked for other similar stories. These are mostly teenage girls and women of all ages, though. What can be done to encourage boys and men to read more? Is there something publishers can do to make reading more appealing to men?

From my experience as a bookseller, I do see more girls reading than boys. Lately it seems I’ve had a lot of parents and grandparents choosing books for boys as an alternative to expensive video games. The number of boys that choose books for themselves is still way below that of girls, though. As for men, I sell a lot of history/military, and business/economic books to them, which tells me many read to learn, not simply for enjoyment. On the other hand, mystery/suspense and science fiction/fantasy seem to be very popular with teen and adult men alike.

Men may read less than women, but they do read. Could it be a lack of reading material that interests them or do they just not see reading as a worthwhile way to spend their time? Come on guys! Chime in and let us know what you think. Do you think there is a difference in reading habits between men and women? If so, why do you think that is?

To Be a Book

Did you ever wish you were a book? This is completely different from wishing your life were like a storybook. Who hasn’t wished they were Stephanie Plum or Jane Eyre? I mean did you ever wish you were literally a book?

I have wished to be one of my cats once or twice as they lounged around the house. I have wished to be my pillow on many cold winter mornings. I’ve spent half my life wishing I could fly like a bird. I’m pretty sure this fantasy of being a book is a first for me.

This week I have sent books to California (I hear it is warm there) and New York City (I consider myself a small town gal by choice, but there is nothing wrong with new experiences). A used hardcover went to France (Paris!!) and a paperback bestseller to Australia (How can you not melt when you hear that accent??). If I could only travel with them! If I hand deliver these books I could use that as a business write off, couldn't I?

Time to Vote!

The Children’s Book Council has announced the finalists for the second annual Children's Choice Book Awards! Close to 15,000 children and teens from around the US spent months reading and evaluating books submitted by publishers. The five favorite books published in 2008 in each category are open for a nation-wide vote. Stop in at BayShore Books to vote or use the handy widget on the left. The winner in each category will be named as part of Children's Book Week(May 11-17, 2009), the oldest national literacy event in the United States.

This year’s Children’s Choice Book Award finalists are:

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year:
The Donut Chef written and illustrated by Bob Staake
Katie Loves the Kittens written and illustrated by John Himmelman
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! written and illustrated by Mo Willems
Sort It Out! written by Barbara Mariconda, illustrated by Sherry Rogers
Those Darn Squirrels written by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year:
Babymouse: Puppy Love by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
One Million Things by Peter Chrisp
Spooky Cemeteries by Dinah Williams
Underwear: What We Wear Under There by Ruth Freeman Swain
Willow written by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan, illustrated by Cyd Moore

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year:
100 Most Dangerous Things On the Planet by Anna Claybourne
Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
The Big Field by Mike Lupica
Swords: An Artist's Devotion by Ben Boos
Thirteen by Lauren Myracle

Teen Choice Book Award:
Airhead by Meg Cabot
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Paper Towns by John Green

Author of the Year:
Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Stephenie Meyer, Breaking Dawn
Christopher Paolini, Brisingr
James Patterson, Maximum Ride: The Final Warning
Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth

Illustrator of the Year:
Laura Cornell, Big Words for Little People
Robin Preiss Glasser, Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly!
Mo Willems, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!
David Shannon, Loren Long and David Gordon, Smash! Crash!
Jon J Muth, Zen Ties

What are your predictions?