IOU

Those of you who receive our monthly newsletter have probably stopped in by now to pick up your free copy of IOU: New Writing on Money. If you don’t receive the newsletter, What are you waiting for? Sign up on this blog or on our website.

Concord Free Press is experimenting with “generosity based publishing” and they are taking us, along with other independent bookstores, along for the ride. They have supplied us with copies of their fourth book to give away to all those interested in participating. The concept is simple: pick up a copy of the book, make a voluntary donation to a charity or person in need, chart your donation on their website, and then pass the book along to someone else so the giving keeps going.

The donations are posted online so it’s exciting to chart the progress of the books. It’s fascinating to see what causes are important to our customers and who they choose to donate to. If you like this idea, you can make a donation to this small publisher so they can keep the idea going. They also have t-shirts and posters for sale on their website. If you live outside of Wisconsin, you can find a participating bookstore near you.

Let’s help Concord Free Press connect reading and giving like never before!

Summer Camp

Memorial Day is the kickoff to the long awaited summer! Finally many of us can put away the textbooks and required reading and choose books just for fun. During the summer no excuse is needed to pick up some light reading. Now there is no need to read Moby Dick when you would much rather read the latest James Patterson mystery or Debbie Macomber romance.

This is a difficult time to be a bookstore owner. Each day as I wander the shop my must read list grows longer and longer. I imagine myself lounging on the deck this weekend with a cool drink and a copy of No Time to Wave Goodbye, written by a Wisconsin gal who knows how surviving a long Wisconsin winter should be considered an accomplishment worth celebrating. Or Coop written by another Wisconsin author who knows what it means to work hard and understands the need to relax.

Running my hand over these titles gives me something to look forward to each day. Is it any wonder that I feel a little sad each time one leaves the store? I realize my job is to share my excitement with other readers and I should feel pride when one of my favorites is chosen to be enjoyed, but some small part of me feels like saying goodbye to a child off to summer camp. This summer when you stop in to discover your perfect beach read, please take care of my child and if you loved it as much as I did, let me know. Let’s discuss it, share a tear, maybe a picture or two.

Required Reading

This should be required reading for every eighth grade girl!

Can you guess which book a customer was talking about when she made this statement?

Let me give you a clue. It is a children’s book. Much like Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a great graduation gift. Many children’s books find a niche with a completely different age group than was initially intended. Some children’s books are given as gifts because of sentimental reasons, others because of the message hidden inside what at first glance is a simple story.

The book the customer was talking about is Be Happy! By Monica Sheehan. This book was originally published as a self help book and last month reappeared as a children’s board book. The format makes no difference, although the illustrations in the new edition really liven up the pages. Remembering back to eighth grade, and all through high school, this customer was spot on. Be Happy! is a great reminder for anyone of any age.

What are some children’s books you have given to grown children or received as adults that made a difference in your life?

What are you reading?

“What are you reading?”

Sometimes what should be such a simple question is so difficult to answer. More often than not what I am reading has absolutely nothing to do with what I would like to be reading.

There is a pile of books by authors and publishers that I offered to read and review, foolishly thinking I could fit this into my schedule. There is another pile customers have been inquiring about. How can I give an honest assessment on a book I haven’t read? Reviews by others do make this task a little simpler, which is why the BayShore Bookworms began. Members choose one book a month, supplied by BayShore Books, to read and review. This benefits all of us since I can’t possibly read every new book set to be released and the members can choose subjects they have an interest in without paying hardcover prices.

My last book tower is new titles by authors I already know and love. Unfortunately these must be viewed as the lowest priority. I can recommend the latest installment based on my knowledge of the author and his or her previous work. This is the reality that is hardest to handle, though.

So, what am I reading right now? A book that must be completed and reviewed by the end of the month. I don’t remember the author or title, but I will by time I’m done with it. After that? This month’s book club pick, which I have been anxious to read since its release in hardcover – a year ago. What do I wish I were reading?

Family Reading Night

Each year our local elementary school held a family fun night. This year the parent teacher organization has decided to put the focus on reading, so it has become Family Reading Night. This is a welcome change, especially after reading this article about how less than half of children aged nine to 14 read fiction more than once a month.

The goal is to focus on award winning titles such as Caldecott Medal winner The Lion & the Mouse, Geisel Award winner Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!, Newbery Medal winner,When You Reach Me, and books by the Wilder Award winner, Ashley Bryan .

During this year’s Family Reading Night, the school will also announce the winner of the 2010 Family Reading Night Kids’ Choice Award. Entry boxes were placed in the school library, public library, and here at BayShore Books. The choices are:

Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type(Cronin)
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Archambault/Martin)
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Numeroff)
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Scieszka/Smith)
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? (Yolen)

Tough choices! Which would you choose? Or is there a favorite not on the list?

It would be great to see this idea spread to the middle school and high school, too. Even the entire city. Many communities, including Brown County, have One Book, One Community which is an initiative that brings communities together to read and discuss the same book. This is a partnership between the schools, libraries, and independent bookstores. What a great concept!

Weekend of Romance

Do you have plans for this very important weekend?
You do know what this weekend is, don’t you?

That’s right – Sturgeon spearing starts on Saturday!

I’ve never actually tried it, but these monsters are fascinating. People of the Sturgeon tells the unique history of this ancient fish in central Wisconsin. The photos are fantastic!

I’m sure you realize that this weekend is also Valentine’s Day.

If you are looking for a night out, it looks like there are still tickets available for tonight’s performance of WHO'S ON FIRST by the Machickanee Players. To get tickets, just follow the link on our website or stop in. We now sell tickets at the store.

If you plan on staying home, how about bringing a little romance into your weekend with a good book? Previously cherished romance paperbacks are only

$1.00

today and tomorrow in the store. There is no limit, so this is the perfect time to stock up!

Not in Stock?

“I can’t believe you don’t have it in stock!”

When I hear that phrase a little piece of me curls into a ball. Knowing what is popular and what customers are looking for is my job and I do it to the best of my ability, but the sad truth is, I am human and sometimes mistakes are made. Or are they?

Each time someone complains about having to order a title they were hoping to pick up today, I have to step back and look at the larger picture. Is this a regular customer? Someone from one of the communities I serve? I say “communities” because, although the shop exists in one community, I serve a number of different communities who all have very different needs.

For instance, I sell to school districts in twenty six states. I’ve found products I believe in, locked in the best possible prices, and have begun to know these schools and what they are looking for. They in turn, share their knowledge of what is needed in the school market and guide me in the best practices for that market. It’s a win/win situation.

I also have a community of retailers who count on me to find the products their customers are interested in. They know that since I am also a retailer I will find a way for them to be profitable while making their jobs as easy as possible. I can find them many products from many sources, hand deliver them and give them the convenience of one simple invoice. They open my eyes to different trends in different areas and share great ideas for my own retail location.

There is an entire community of online shoppers who know me and trust that they will receive what they order. They know that if they are not fully satisfied, I will do whatever I can to change that. This was a huge learning curve and I am grateful to all of these patient customers who have shared their knowledge of the best ways to package and ship as well as how to describe the items for sale. Each morning is a thrill to come into work to discover what sales occurred while I slept.

These different communities all make up what I do and who I am, but a customer that walks into the store doesn’t know or care about that. Why should they? They care about their experience and the service they receive. When I don’t have something they are looking for I feel like I have failed them. Like I made a mistake. Not all of these instances are mistakes, but I do learn from them.

If a regular customer is looking for something I currently don’t have in the store many times they order it. By doing this they are telling me what authors or subjects they enjoy. Next time that author has a new book out or there is a new addition to that series, you can bet that I will have one in stock waiting for that particular customer. The entire store selection is built around the customers. I may not have every “bestseller” in the store at all times, but I do my very best to have just what my bookstore community is looking for. Each book is ordered with a customer in mind. If you walk through the door and find exactly what you are looking for, just know I was thinking of you when I ordered it. Thank you for selecting the perfect books to place on the shelves of your community bookstore!