2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

2011 Pannell Award Winners

The 2011 winner in the General Bookstore category is Queen Anne Books in Seattle, WA. The Children’s Specialty Store category winner is Fairytales Bookstore in Nashville, TN.

A jury of five book industry professionals deliberated for four weeks, then selected the winners based on creativity, responsiveness to community needs and an understanding of young readers. Jurors expressed admiration for all the nominated stores. In particular, the reasons they gave for the selected bookstores included:

Queen Anne Books was lauded for its “clear understanding of the needs of young readers at different ages and stages,” for “its creative ways to reach them (in stores, in schools, in libraries, in the community),” and for “not overlooking the oft-forgotten secret weapon, the parents.” Also impressive are “the fact that they reach out to children in foster homes and give discounts for parent-child book groups,” and “the Bookworms Little League Team.”

Fairytales Bookstore was praised for the “comprehensive approach it takes to involving kids in reading, from creative play and storytelling, to music, and visual arts.”  Also noted was that “its daily story time offers many ways for kids to engage with reading and books.”  Its attention to parents – their need to “relax and rejuvenate” in the store – was also commended.

2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

WNBA Winner Announced

(Nashville, TN, August 6, 2012)

The Women’s National Book Association announces that author Ann Patchett has been chosen to receive the 2012-2013 WNBA Award. The award is presented by WNBA to a living American woman who derives part or all of her income from books or the allied arts and has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties or responsibilities of her profession or occupation.
Ann Patchett is an award-winning and bestselling author of several works of fiction, among them, Patron Saint of Liars, named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year; Taft, winner of the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for best work of fiction; Bel Canto, which won both the PEN/Faulkner and Orange Prize in 2002; The Magician’s Assistant; and her latest State of Wonder. Among her nonfiction titles are Truth and Beauty and What Now?
In addition, Ms Patchett has written for numerous publications, including The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, Gourmet and Vogue.
In 2011, Ann Patchett opened a bookstore, Parnassus Books, in Nashville with publishing veteran Karen Hayes, bucking the trend of the rising tide of closures among independents, the growth of “big box” outlets and internet buying. She has become a powerful advocate for independent bookselling throughout the country, having been interviewed by NPR and The New York Times, appearing on The Colbert Report; and was named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” for 2012.
The WNBA Award has been presented continuously since 1940. Previous recipients have included Doris, Kearns Goodwin, Carolyn Heilbrun, Barbara Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt, Perri Klass, and Kathi Kamen Goldmark.

2012 Pannell Winners Announced

(May 2012)

2012 Pannell Award Winners
The 2012 winner in the General Bookstore category is The Book Beat, in Oak Park, Michigan. The Children’s Specialty Store category winner is Monkey See, Monkey Do, in Clarence, New York.

A jury of five book industry professionals, after deliberating for four weeks, selected the winners based on creativity, responsiveness to community needs, and an understanding of young readers. Jurors expressed admiration for all the nominated stores and their comments on the winners revolved around how innovative they are in connecting to the communities they serve.

The Book Beat was lauded for its “passion and true understanding of children’s books and young readers,” for its “tremendous success as an independent haven within a tough urban environment,” and for going “beyond expectation to support and expand children’s and YA services, programs, and events.” Also impressive is the store’s initiation of the celebration of International Peace Day in local schools.
Monkey See, Monkey Do was commended for its enthusiastic and innovative approaches to getting kids engaged with reading. According to one juror: “I love the joyous tone this bookstore sets in all of its programs – and there are many! Eight weeks of summer camps, 300 children, 43 camps, is truly impressive.” Other jurors lauded its active book clubs, reading/writing/craft programs, and its “spirit of entrepreneurship, looking for ways to make money not just from book sales.”

In addition to sponsorship by the WNBA, the Pannell Award is underwritten by a generous gift from Penguin Young Readers Group. Each winner will receive a check for $1000 and a framed piece of original art by a children’s book illustrator. This year the art will be contributed by Jenni Desmond, whose book Red Cat, Blue Cat will be published by Blue Apple Books (fall 2012), and George Ford (the first illustrator to win the Coretta Scott King Book Award in 1974) from Bright Eyes, Brown Skin (Just Us Books 1990), which won the Ben Franklin Award for illustration in 1991.

Jurors this year included Emma D. Dryden, children’s editorial & publishing consultant with drydenbks.com; Kelli Chipponeri, executive editor/children’s at Chronicle Books; Yolanda Scott, editorial director, Charlesbridge; Manuela Soares, lecturer and director of the Graduate Seminar, Pace University’s Publishing Program; and Gail Vinett, lead buyer, Ingram Content Group.
Nominations this year spanned all regions of the country. Made by authors, editors, book distributors, sales reps, and just plain admirers, the nominations illustrate a healthy support of independent bookselling and its importance in promoting the development of future readers.

In addition to the winners, the nominees included, in the General Bookstore category: Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL; Lake Forest Bookstore, Lake Forest, IL; Mrs. Figs’ Bookworm, Camarillo, CA; Old Books on Front Street, Wilmington, NC; and Old Firehouse Books, Fort Collins, CO; and in the Children’s Specialty category: Alamosa Books, Albuquerque, NM; Books of Wonder, New York, NY; Bookworm Central, Manassas, VA; Wild Rumpus, Minneapolis, MN; and Spellbound, Asheville, NC.

2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

TWO MICHIGAN BOOKSTORES WIN THE 2013 WNBA PANNELL AWARD

(May 13, 2013)

The Women’s National Book Association is proud to announce the winners of the 2013 WNBA Pannell Award given annually since 1983 to two bookstores that excel in contributing to their communities in ways that bring books and young people together. The winner in the General Bookstore category is Nicola’s Books of Ann Arbor, MI; and the Children’s Specialty Store category winner is The Bookbug of Kalamazoo, MI.
A jury of five book industry professionals deliberated for four weeks, then selected the winners based on creativity, responsiveness to community needs and an understanding of young readers. Jurors complimented all of the nominees for valuable contributions they make to their communities. The two winners, however, were cited for their “over and above” commitment and “partnering skills to benefit children, families, and the community at large” (Nicola’s Books); as well as having a “terrific history of civic engagement, actively engaging in all aspects of the local community to stay relevant and of service to children and their families” (Bookbug).
In addition to WNBA, the Pannell Award is underwritten by a generous gift from Penguin Young Readers Group. Each winning store will receive a check for $1,000 and framed original art donated this year by James Dean of Pete the Cat fame (HarperCollins) and Susan Stockdale, author and illustrator of Stripes of All Types (Peachtree).
Presentation of the awards will be at the Children’s Book and Author Breakfast on May 31st at BookExpo America in New York.

WNBA Writing Contest Winners

(April 2013)

Winners of the first annual writing contest have been announced.
Fiction
Winning Entry: Jessica Wallin Mace for “A Prize in Every Box”
Second Place: Anne Pound for “Beauty”
Third Place: Deborah Batterman for “All Mine”
Honorable Mention: Christine Eskilson for “Dorrie”
Poetry
Winning Entry: Ellaraine Lockie for “Abandoned Garden”
Second Place: Harriet Shenkman for “Mirror, Mirror”
Third Place: Ruth Hill for “Light Bends around Shadows”
Honorable Mention: Amy Wright “Airport Proposal”
A downloadable pdf of the writers’ biographies is available from the contest page.
A special (online) edition of The Bookwoman with the winning entries will be published in April.

Thank you for your submissions! Proceeds from the contest help support scholarships for writing conferences and other professional development training.
The Women’s National Book Association is a 90+ year old venerated organization of women and men across the broad spectrum of writing and publishing. Our membership includes Editors, Publishers, Literary Agents, Professors, Academics, Librarians, Authors, Book Marketers and many others involved in the world of books.

After years of celebrating published authors, extraordinary book women (see our WNBA Award under “Awards”) and others in the field, we have decided it is time to celebrate emerging writers. In 2012, the first of our annual writing contests was announced, with submission dates open from June 1 to November 15.

A jury of five book industry professionals deliberated for four weeks, then selected the winners based on creativity, responsiveness to community needs and an understanding of young readers.  Jurors complimented all of the nominees for valuable contributions they make to their communities.  The two winners, however, were cited for their “over and above” commitment and “partnering skills to benefit children, families, and the community at large” (Nicola’s Books); as well as having a “terrific history of civic engagement, actively engaging in all aspects of the local community to stay relevant and of service to children and their families” (Bookbug).

In addition to WNBA, the Pannell Award is underwritten by a generous gift from Penguin Young Readers Group.  Each winning store will receive a check for $1,000 and framed original art donated this year by James Dean of Pete the Cat fame (HarperCollins) and Susan Stockdale, author and illustrator of Stripes of All Types (Peachtree).

Presentation of the awards will be at the Children’s Book and Author Breakfast on May 31st at BookExpo America in New York.

Our regular programming year begins in September and runs through May with meetings on the second Monday of each month. Educational meetings  usually alternate with social networking events. Examples of our events include our annual Bibliofeast book and author dinner during October — National Reading Group Month, meetings to discuss marketing on the Web, using social media, book clubs and book recommendations, young adult books, speed dating with agents, and more. In the years ahead, we look forward to hosting meetings on diverse book-related topics of interest to our members.  Join us and bring YOUR own ideas and connections to the group!

Check out our website at: http://wnba-charlotte.org
Follow us on Facebook for updates on our activities and events:
Women’s National Book Association–Charlotte

Please contact one of our board members for additional information on membership and getting involved:

• Susan Walker, President   susan.walker.books@gmail.com
• Stephanie Ripperton, Vice President  s.ripperton@gmail.com
• Carin Siegfried, Past President  carinsiegfried@earthlink.net
• Carolyn Abiad, Membership Chair  csabiad00@gmail.com
• Quinlan Lee, Event Chair  quinlan@adamsliterary.com

This year’s nominees are:

General Bookstores

• Avid Book Shop, Athens, GA
• Byrd’s Books, Bethel, CT
• Nicola’s Books, Ann Arbor, MI
• Newtonville Books, Newtonville, MA
• Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA
• Main Street Books, Davidson, NC
• Vroman’s Bookstore, Pasadena, CA
• Park Road Books, Charlotte, NC

Children’s Bookstores

• Books and Cookies, Santa Monica, CA
• 4 Kids Books & Toys, Zionsville, IN
• Hooray for Books, Alexandria, VA
• The Bookbug, Kalamazoo, MI
• The Voracious Reader, Larchmont, NY
• Children’s Book World, Los Angeles, CA

The nominated store puts together an electronic submission with a description of activities, goals, or any contribution to the local community that involves young people and books. Photos, media coverage, letters from customers, or anything else that transmits the degree of contribution can be included in the submission. (The deadline for submissions is Sunday, March 31, 2013.)

Since 1983, the Women’s National Book Association has awarded one of the most prestigious honors in children’s bookselling. Given annually at BookExpo America’s Children’s Book and Author Breakfast, the WNBA Pannell Award recognizes bookstores that enhance their communities by bringing exceptional creativity to foster a love of reading in their young patrons.

Every year a panel of publishing professionals selects two winners of the award—one a general bookstore and one a children’s specialty bookstore. The store nominations come from customers, sales reps, store personnel, or anyone who has been impressed with the work of a particular independent bookstore

It is time to start the nomination process which has been simplified to ensure the nomination of every deserving store. Electronic nominations can be sent to
PannellAward@gmail.com and should include the following:

1. Name, email address, and phone number of person making the nomination

2. That person’s connection to the nominated store

3. A brief statement outlining the reasons that store is being nominated

4. Contact info for the owner/manager of the nominated store

The submission of nominations is due by January 15, 2013, at which time a press release will be issued listing the nominees. The nominated store then puts together an electronic submission with a description of activities, goals, or any contribution to the local community that involves young people and books. Photos, media coverage, letters from customers, or anything else that transmits the degree of contribution can be included in the submission. The deadline for submissions is March 20, 2013.

The Pannell Award jurors will make their decision by late April, and a phone call will notify the winners, as well as all stores sending submissions. Each of the two winners will receive a $1,000 check and a framed signed original piece of art by a children’s illustrator. The presentation of the award will be in New York at the BEA/ABA Children’s Book and Author Breakfast, which draws more than 1,000 attendees.

Along with WNBA, Penguin Young Readers Group co-sponsors the award. Founded in 1917, WNBA is a national organization of women and men who promote the value to the written word by championing the role of women in the book community and by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information about book lovers and professionals. www.wnba-books.org.

November 5, 2012

Contact: Quinlan Lee
quiland@adamsliterary.com

Ann Patchett is an award-winning and bestselling author of several works of fiction, among them, Patron Saint of Liars, named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year; Taft, winner of the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for best work of fiction; Bel Canto, which won both the PEN/Faulkner and Orange Prize in 2002; The Magician’s Assistant; and her latest State of Wonder. Among her nonfiction titles are Truth and Beauty and What Now?

In addition, Ms Patchett has written for numerous publications, including The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, Gourmet and Vogue.

In 2011, Ann Patchett opened a bookstore, Parnassus Books, in Nashville with publishing veteran Karen Hayes, bucking the trend of the rising tide of closures among independents, the growth of “big box” outlets and internet buying. She has become a powerful  advocate for independent bookselling throughout the country, having been interviewed by NPR and The New York Times, appearing on The Colbert Report; and was named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” for 2012.

The WNBA Award has been presented continuously since 1940. Previous recipients have included Doris, Kearns Goodwin, Carolyn Heilbrun, Barbara Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt, Perri Klass, and Kathi Kamen Goldmark.

The Women’s National Book Association, founded in 1917, is a national organization of women and men who work with and value books and has chapters across the country. WNBA exists to promote reading and literacy and support the role of women in the book community. WNBA administers three distinguished national awards, including the Pannell Award for Children’s bookselling, the Eastman Grant, and the WNBA Award and is an officially recognized NGO of the United Nations.

For more information about the WNBA or the award, please visit the national website at www.wnba-books.org

CONTACT:

Nancy Stewart

WNBA Award Chair

615-213-5370

Nancy.stewart@ingramcontent.com