Lucile Micheels Pannell Award of the WNBA
Excellence in Children's Bookselling
The 2003 Pannell Jury highlights
some of the best ideas in children's bookselling!
Preschool Sunday
Dutton's Brentwood Bookstore in Los Angeles, CA reaches their preschool book buying customers with a special Sunday event, involving families and staff from more than twenty schools. Their big bash includes author readings, character visits, crafts, continuous storytime presentations, and 20% of pretax purchases going back to each school.
Soirees for Grown-ups
Halfway Down the Stairs Children's Books in Rochester, MI fosters a love of children's books in adults by hosting a lecture series for the adult reader of children's literature. With formal invitations, author readings and discussions, and lovely refreshments, the grown-ups are in for a treat!
Picture Yourself Reading With Dad
Hawley-Cooke Booksellers of Louisville, KY encourages dads to read with their children by inviting them to the store the day before Father's Day. Dads are photographed with a Polaroid camera reading with their child. The child is given the photo and a special card to put the picture in as a gift for Dad.
Not Your Ordinary Harry Potter Fan Club
The Magic Tree Bookstore in Oak Park, IL encourages their Harry Potter fans to write and to read other books with their Owl Post Club. Children create original characters by completing an application to Hogwarts. Then they correspond with other Hogwarts students about their experiences at school and about other books they've read. Their book reviews have even been published in Chicago Parent magazine. Each year the program culminates with a Hogwarts Halloween Party and Quidditch Match.
Author Trading Cards
The Booksmith in San Francisco, CA creates author trading cards to promote upcoming events. With a desktop publishing program, Booksmith produces a card with the author's photo or book cover on the front and information about the new release and the event on the back. Patrons stop in the store just to check out the new cards, available free, monthly. Some of the cards include William Wegman, Peter Sís, Lemony Snicket, Maira Kalman, Francesca Lia Block, Philip Pullman, and Hilary Knight.
Focus on Teens
Bound to Be Read in St. Paul, MN engages the "difficult-to-get-involved" teen reader with author events featuring people of special interest including local politicians or someone they've seen in the movies like Bruce Campbell, B movie icon.
They'll Fix Your Little Red Wagon...
Diane's Books of Greenwich, CT makes creative use of their red wagon logo. They'll fill a kid-sized red-flyer wagon with books for your favorite kid's special occasion, wrap it, and ship it with a gift card. Diane's also has a book of the month club where they send an age-appropriate book or two every month to your grandchild or godchild. Talk about customer service!
Winners of the
2003 Lucile Micheels Pannell Award of the WNBA
for Excellence in Children's Bookselling
General Bookstore
Dutton's Brentwood Bookstore
of Los Angeles, CaliforniaChildren's Specialty Store
Halfway Down the Stairs Children's Book Shop
of Rochester, Michigan
Honorable Mention
Hawley-Cooke Booksellers of Louisville Kentucky
Magic Tree Bookstore of Oak Park, Illinois
Thanks to
Artists Henry Cole and Peter Sís
for their generous donation of artwork for the Award.
The 2003 Pannell Jury
Lisa Dugan - Koen Books
Judy Hijikata - Parson Weems Publisher's Services
Angus Killick - Disney Hyperion Books
Steve Geck - Greenwillow Books
Walter Mayes - aka Walter the Giant Storyteller
The Children's Book Council, The Association of Booksellers for Children, The American Booksellers Association, and BookExpo America for their kind hospitality.
2003 Pannell Jury highlights