children’s bookstores

Indie Spotlight: The Bookworm, Omaha NE

By on April 13, 2020   /   Articles, Book Lists, children's bookstores, Homeschool Resource, independent bookstores, Indie Spotlight  

Note:   In response to the virus crisis, The Bookworm will be open for its usual hours, but with the following changes to help everyone shop safely. They are postponing all in-store book clubs, to be resumed in the future.  Staff is increasing cleaning of surfaces, credit card machines, door handles, bathrooms, etc. For those keeping their distance, The Bookworm will ship books anywhere in the country at $2 less than the going shipping rate, and will ship orders of $100 or more for free. They will make free contact-less courier deliveries three days a week within nearby zip codes. Customers may also arrange to pay by phone and get curbside pick-up. For further information, please go to bookwormomaha.com.

[This interview took place before the Coronavirus became pandemic, so some of the discussion below of book clubs and nearby sites to visit should be kept in mind  for the future.] 

What better place for a bookworm to visit than a store called The Bookworm? We’re talking today with their Children’s and Young Adult’s Manager, Hannah Amrollahi.
MUF: It’s always a delight to see an independent bookstore that’s been going for a while (since 1986). You’re not only surviving, but thriving.   What keeps you going?
Hannah: Community support allows the Bookworm to thrive. We can host programming of all kinds and stock magnificent books, but without community support and engagement we wouldn’t be here. Omahans continue to show they want vibrant, physical spaces, and we are so appreciative. People drive everything we do.

MUF: What do you want readers to experience when they visit The Bookworm? You and your staff seem to have especially strong backgrounds in books and education. How do you help readers find their next favorite book?
Hannah: We strive to greet every person as they enter the store and offer assistance before they leave, because that is a basis of hospitality. Conversations between people, readers and booksellers, are personable in a way algorithms cannot be. Our favorite question to ask customers is “what was the last book you read and loved?” and let the conversation flow from there. We offer the opportunity to find something similar, but equally important, something new, niche, or related. When readers visit, I hope they leave with a sense of wonder, energy to carry into their reading, and a book they will love.
A strong background in education helps booksellers find the right books for a burgeoning reader, where their reading level and interest has taken root. The majority of sales in children’s are gifts, they are not for the customer themselves, and so we want to bring that expertise to assist. The Bookworm has a strong staff connection to Montessori, and independent learning, teaching, and reading are also strongly connected.

MUF: What’s a good day at Bookworm for you?
Hannah: The best moment I have is when I hand a book to a child and their eyes light up in excitement. A very close second is handing a book to an adult and hearing them say, “oh, this is perfect!” for the child in their life. This interaction looks a lot of different ways now that I manage as well as hand-sell. Sometimes it’s an email to a local school letting them know the books for their author event have arrived. It can be the jitters in a volunteer’s hand picking up advanced readers donations for a local charity. If we’re having an event it can be the hectic pace in a line. Regardless, it is always the best part of my day.

MUF: Bookworm seems to be book club central! You have over a hundred external book clubs getting discounts and seventeen in-store adult clubs for many different interests. That suggests strong community connections. Last, but definitely not least, is your monthly Very Newbery book club for middle graders. What‘s the next selection Very Newbery is reading?Hannah: We love book clubs! All of our store ones are open to new members, so we are constantly meeting new people and enjoying the chatter about a book.
The Very Newbery club was started last summer and we’ll resume it in 2020! I would love to read the 2019 Newbery, New Kid by Jerry Craft, since it’s the first graphic novel in the category. It would be a joy to hear what kids think about this milestone.
Currently, we work with a local parochial school for the Chat N’ Chew bookclub and the University of Nebraska at Omaha for a Young Adult Literature class. Both have several titles, as they span across grades, but for February I love Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo and Front Desk by Kelly Yang. The first is a zany and lesser-known title by a big-hit author (remember Because of Winn-Dixie?). The second is an own-voices title that paints a realistic and poignant picture of immigration in the United States in its highs and lows.

MUF: One of the great things about independent bookstores is that the books you carry are curated by people who know books and not just business. Please tell us some titles, new or old, fiction, poetry, or nonfiction you find yourselves recommending these days to readers ages 9-12?
Hannah: Nine to twelve is such a great age. Here are a few of my favorites.
New: Dark Lord Clementine by Sarah Jean Horwotiz is the type of book we have on hand because I fell in love with its quirky fun. A light read featuring an “evil” daughter dealing with a host of villagers, a sickly father, and a whittle-witch, it will enchant readers with variations on tried and true tropes while incorporating surprisingly real-world themes of privilege, family expectations, and reparation.
Old: A musty church. A mysterious visitor. The Letter for the King. I discovered this 1962 classic from Tonke Dragt, whose own life is a fascinating study of her time, after the Netflix movie announcement revived interest. It has so much to offer, amazing out-loud, fantastic syntax reflective of its translation from Dutch, short chapters that make it fit easily into any schedule, and truly endearing characters struggling with the most basic, and most important, moral decisions. When can you share a secret? To what do you owe a promise? An all-ages book I only wish I had read earlier so I could be re-reading it sooner!
Nonfiction: I have some newer titles I love, but All of Us: a Young People’s History of the World from Yvan Pommaux and Christophe Ylla-Somers is still my favorite world history for this age group. The over-sized, beautifully illustrated hardcover has the literal weight of history. The authors tell a linear story of humanity that focuses more narrowly on America and Europe only in the near present. Time becomes a third character that moves the book around the globe, placing the Bering Strait migration, the development of Chinese writing, the Indus Valley, and early Crete together on glorious spread. History is messy, but this book achieves a robust introduction and a questioning tone that will provoke curiosity.

MUF: If families visit your store from out of town, would there be family-friendly places near by for a snack or a meal after shopping? And if they can stay a little longer, what are some unique sites or activities they shouldn’t miss?
Hannah: Omaha makes an extremely family-friendly vacation. Down the sidewalk from The Bookworm is the Market Basket restaurant, a local establishment, and within a few minutes’ drive is a local bakery and restaurant, Le Quartier. For a longer day, there is the Joslyn Art Museum, a free-entrance museum with outdoor sculpture garden and children’s room, the Omaha Children’s Museum, and award-winning children’s theater company, The Rose. Area parks are spread out across neighborhoods, whose old “small town” main streets have kept their individual flavor as the metropolitan area grew. Dundee, Florence Mill, and the award-winning 24th Street Mural Corridor celebrate Omaha’s diverse communities.
Finally, The Old Market downtown features red cobblestones and vibrant businesses tucked into historic buildings. The Durham Museum downtown features full-scale historic train cars and interactive exhibits. Ending the downtown tour at Ted & Wally’s homemade ice cream and Hollywood Candy bookend the day. Check out Visit Omaha, Omaha Magazine, and Nebraskaland for features and ideas!

MUF: Now that we’re all trying to stay home, what a great time to read, and we hope you discovered some titles in this discussion.   It’s also a critical time to support independent bookstores like The Bookworm, yes?  Read and support, a win-win!

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Stranger Things, Mall Bookstores, and 80s Books!

By on July 22, 2019   /   Articles, Book Lists, children's bookstores, Fiction, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers, independent bookstores  

Hello Mixed-Up Filers!

It’s definitely been a while, and I missed all of you. Hope you’re enjoying the summer, because I know that I am. It’s always been my favorite season, because once school lets out, there are always endless possibilities. The sense of fun and adventure that each day might bring. Some of my best memories were during the summers of my youth and that’s kind of what I decided to write about today.

The reason for this trip down memory lane?

Well, let’s say it has to do with a certain popular, spooky show on Netflix. That’s right, Stranger Things. First off, it’s such a fun show on its own, but if you grew up in the same era that I did, it brings back waves of nostalgia. I tell my kids all the time how much fun the 80’s were. The movies, the music, and they look at me the same way that I probably looked at my parents when they would talk to me about the 50’s and 60’s. Actually, to be fair to both me and my kids, I was interested in the 50’s and 60’s and my kids are interested in the 80’s, and it makes sense, since there always seems to be that glorifying the time before as something special. I mean, I grew up watching Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley, and they have Stranger Things and other shows which portray the 80’s as some magical time.

The only difference is, the 80’s really were the best time!

But getting back to Stranger Things and my youth, the portrayal rang true to me. Well, except for having to deal with inter-dimensional monsters and Soviet spies. As for everything else, yes, it was an idealized version of  the 80s, but the mall really was the epicenter of the teen universe back then. Movie theaters, food courts, record shops, arcades, and for me, bookstores. I’ve posted before about how much I miss Waldenbooks and B. Daltons. I would never go into the mall without stopping at one of them. And when I went with my dad, he’d ALWAYS buy me a book. Didn’t matter if we had just gone a couple of days before, he’d get me another one, because I read them that fast. Those memories are really among my best of mall life. And truth be told, I still think of those days every single time I go into a mall now. It’s a sense of loss that those days are gone, but even more that those stores are gone. The mall experience just isn’t the same for me without them.

So, now you might be asking, “Jonathan, that’s sweet, but is this post just about a stroll down memory lane? Does it have anything at all to do with actual books?”

Well, I’m glad you asked.

You see, like I said, watching that show got me thinking about my youth, and going to the bookstores, and what did I buy there? Books, of course! And I just wanted to share some of the books that came out in the 80’s that I enjoyed and think need a revisiting now!

So, because I know that you’re all anxiously waiting for the list, here we go:

Okay, the first one is a cheat. I admit it. But, technically, it came out in 1980, even though the series is much, much older. I devoured The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books, and I specifically remember buying The Mystery of Smugglers Cove. Probably read it in one day, too. This one, I remember well because it took place in Florida. Who knows, maybe that helped influence my move here, years later.

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman: This one is in my mind for several reasons. I remember getting this book because of the author’s name. I had no idea at the time that he was this huge entity in the kidlit world. All I knew was it was a Jewish last name and I wanted to read it. I had such a desire to read stories that featured Jewish characters because there weren’t many, and I wanted to see myself in books. There’s still a huge need for that. (Cough, cough, We Need Diverse Books committee). The book wasn’t specifically Jewish, but it seemed like it, and that was close, and it was also a good book on its own. Entertaining and funny. And I remember it even more fondly, since years later, I was fortunate enough to actually meet Sid Fleischman at a Florida SCBWI conference and take a workshop with him. He really was the nicest man. He wasn’t doing well, but still spent quite a bit of time talking to me that weekend, and I’ll always cherish that.

Being a writer who loves Spooky things, and actually belonging to a group of SpookyMG writers, you know I have to include Scary Stories to tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. Was this book actually scary? Heck, yeah! Definitely took quick peeks around the room when I was reading. My daughter has seemed to pick up on my love of spooky stories, and we’re both very much looking forward to the movie adaptation later this year.

 

Next we have The Wish Giver by Bill Brittain. This was a scary, funny story, like the ones I’m so fond of. It deals with a wish-giver who grants wishes that go horribly wrong. Sound familiar? Well, that’s because it’s a take on the Monkey’s Paw story. I love that tale so much, that one of the first things I wrote was an updated Monkey Paw tale. Seek this book out!

Okay, I’m going to end this on another cheat here, but not really. For anyone who’s listened to my school visits, you know I ALWAYS mention this series. The Choose Your Own Adventure books were among my favorites. And when I said that my dad used to get me books all the time, more often than not, he bought me one of these. I finished them off in a day. They were so dog-eared to keep track of all the different endings. And the best part about these books, to me, was that it was in second person. So, it was always YOU are the star, meaning me. It was easy to put myself into all those situations and imagine myself doing them. I’m happy that my kids like them now.

Well, there you have it. My short list of 80s books. It was a fun time with some really great books. I’d list more but Dorian Cirrone said that I needed to stock the supply room at Mixed-Up Files Headquarters and she gets testy when I don’t do it right away.

So, those were some of my favorites, now tell me some of yours in the comments!

Until next time, here’s the third most popular member of the site signing off . . .

 

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Why Read?

By on May 24, 2019   /   Articles, children's bookstores, For Librarians, For Teachers, independent bookstores, Teacher Tips  

For Those Who Grew up Reading, This May Surprise You

by Robyn Gioia

For many in the older generations, reading was a main source of knowledge and entertainment. We read in school, we got in trouble for reading under our desks, we read on vacation, during summer breaks, in the car, and whenever the time was right. We discussed stories, acted out scenes when we played, and let our imaginations go wild. Authors were revered, new release dates drew faithful readers, and the written word was part of life.

Fast forward to a society with never ending videos and video games.

Many of today’s students don’t read outside of school. The challenge for many educators is to teach their students the value of reading and to hone these skills into lifelong skills.

Over the years I have found a successful model for turning students into readers. At the beginning of the year, I tell them they must have a book to read at all times. If they are early finishers, they are to read. They are to read during independent reading, in the library, after lunch, in the morning before class begins, or anytime an opportunity arises. Their chosen book will travel back and forth between school and home.

Sometimes I assign a monthly genre so they are introduced to the different categories. October is great for mysteries. Genres can also be coordinated with other subjects. Biographies are great for social studies. Fantasy is great for creative writing. Some months I let them choose their own genre. When they are really excited about a book, I let them share snippets with the class, but they aren’t allowed to spoil it for the next reader. Books that are shared are generally snatched up by others.

I used to assign monthly projects, but in the last few years, I have replaced it with writing a daily summary in their journals. The focus may change depending on what we are studying. If we are discussing character development, I might assign identifying character traits. If we are studying imagery, they may search for a passage with rich description. If we are studying emotion, they might identify a scene where emotion was a driving factor.

This really hones their ability to pull out main ideas. Some grumble at first, but once they master the skill, they become pros. The skill to pull out main ideas and prove it with evidence strengthens their understanding in every academic area.

For fun, I decided to take an anonymous poll of my class to see what they really thought of reading. At the beginning of the year, I had kids who bragged about not reading. During our beginning of the year parent conferences, I had parents complain they never saw their kids hold a book.

Since then, reading lexiles have soared along with their abilities. And it’s no wonder. When a person reads everyday, the brain is constantly exposed to plot, proper writing, literary elements, sentence structure, problem solving, and vocabulary to name just a few.

When a guest speaker asked the class the other day who likes to read, every hand shot up. This teacher had to smile.

End of the Year Class Poll

How many minutes do you read each day?

10-20 min.     24%        20-40 min.  30%

40-60 min.     12%         60 min. or more   16%

60 min. to 2 hours or more  15%

What kind of books do you like for pleasure? (25 responses)

Fantasy  68%

Graphic Novels 56%

Realistic Fiction 48%

True Stories 44%

Fiction 40%

Biographies 20%

 

 

What do you like to see in a character? (25 responses)

Brave, adventurous, funny, a leader, kind, hero, helpful, hardworking, loyalty.

I like when he or she is very bold or a lead taker. I like when they are talking about themselves and stating their opinion. It’s like they are talking to you.

Smart, loyal, show leadership, curious, naive, athletic, sly, nerdy.

Does not accept bullying, cool, loving, determined, extroverted.

List some of your favorite reads: (25 responses)

Eragon, Wings of Fire, Zita the Spacegirl (graphic novels)

Moone Boy, Whatever After, Dr. Seuss

Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Tiles of Apollo

Infinity War Comics, Big Nate, Dog man

Geronimo Stilton and Pokémon

Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Rangers Apprentice

Who Was Books, American Girl, Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Harry Potter, Rangers Apprentice, Percy Jackson

Wings of Fire, Percy Jackson, and Last Kids on Earth

big Nate, Percy Jackson, Roman Legends

George’s Cosmic Adventure, The War that Saved My Life, War Horse

Last Kids on Earth, Amulet and Dog man

Percy Jackson, Chronicles of Narnia, The Ghost the Rat and Me

The Hero Two Doors Down, Amulet, and Captain Under Pants

BONE (yes it’s in all caps), Amulet, and the Unwanteds

Doll Bones, Blood on the River, Chains, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Who Was, The Star Fisher, Finding Someplace.

Liesl and Po, Echo, Be Forever,

Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Spaced out

Goddess Girls, Big Nate, Seven Wonders

Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the books by Mike Lupica.

Roller Girl, Swing it Sunny, and Strega Nona

Warriors, Wings of Fire, 5 Worlds

Roller Girl, Swing it Sunny, Strega Nona.

I survived, The Boy who Painted the World

 

 

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