Winner of the WNBA award for 2004
The Women's National Book Association is pleased to announce the winner of the WNBA award for 2004 is Nancy Pearl, author, librarian, book reviewer, and radio talk show personality. The fiftieth recipient of the prestigious award, Pearl is being honored for her extraordinary contributions to the world of books. WNBA will present the award at a reception at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC on Friday, January 28 at 6:00 pm co-sponsored by The Center for the Book at the LOC. Another reception in Pearl's honor will be held in Manhattan on the eve of BookExpo America, Thursday, June 2, sponsored by the New York City chapter of WNBA.
Created in 1940, bestowed annually until 1975 and every two years from 1976 on, the WNBA award honors living American women who derive all or part of their income from books and related arts, and who have done outstanding work promoting books and literacy well beyond the boundaries of their professional obligations.
Having spent the past three decades galvanizing readers and markets by promoting books and literacy for readers of all ages and backgrounds, Pearl has just retired from the Seattle Public Library as director of Youth Services at the Washington Center for the Book. During her eleven years there, she founded the 'If All Seattle Reads the Same Book' program, which has become a model for reading programs in urban and rural communities across the country.
Her weekly radio show on KUOW-FM (94.9) in Seattle and her frequent guest appearances on National Public Radio have also sent people scurrying to bookstores and libraries. Broadcasters and reporters delight in tapping her prodigious memory. She is especially fond of reciting first lines from her favorite books'in print, in person, and on the air.
The indefatigable Pearl is now free to take her book show more fully on the road, and she finds herself 'booked' as guest speaker months in advance. Her current whirlwind tour highlights her two newest projects, the widely admired Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason, and her Book Lust 2005: A Reader's Calendar (with David Belisle), both published by Sasquatch Books, which has been delighted by sales of more than 60,000 copies of the book alone. Sasquatch also expects to publish Pearl's next book, More Book Lust, in May 2005. Sasquatch Books is found at: www.sasquatchbooks.com
Another project emerged unexpectedly: Pearl was asked to be the model for a new action figure, 'The Librarian.' Pearl's now familiar face and 'shushing' gesture peer out from bookstore shelves wherever her five-inch figure stands. According to manufacturer Archie McPhee, Pearl's action figure has been outselling even those of Moses and Beethoven.
Pearl is no stranger to recognition, however. She has received numerous prizes, most recently the Louis Shores-Greenwood Publishing Group Award (2004), Washington Humanities Award (2003), Allie Beth Martin Award (2001), and Library Journal's Fiction Reviewer of the Year (1998). She was selected for the WNBA award by the WNBA national board of directors at its annual meeting in Detroit.
When notified at her home in Seattle by WNBA award chair Katharine Turok, Pearl said she was 'completely overwhelmed to be in the company of the other WNBA award winners.' The last four honorees were Patricia McKissack, Patricia Schroeder, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Carolyn Heilbrun. Earlier award holders include Jessie Carney Smith, Barbara Bush, Barbara Tuchman, Margaret K. McElderry, Blanche W. Knopf, Rachel Carson, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Pearl Buck.
Originally called the Constance Lindsay Skinner Award, the award's namesake made her living from writing at a time when very few women or men were able to do so. After spending her childhood on a remote trading post in British Columbia, Skinner wrote in many different genres about frontier and city life after moving to New York City in 1912.
Skinner discovered WNBA when she was living in Manhattan. She served as vice-president and in 1936 helped to sponsor the first issue of The Bookwoman. After her death three years later, WNBA initiated the award in her name. Like Skinner, Nancy Pearl is an adventurous, independent, innovative, articulate bookwoman.
The Washington, DC chapter will host the January award presentation to Pearl at the Library of Congress. Speakers will include Jill A. Tardiff, WNBA president; John Cole, director of The Center for the Book at the Library of Congress; and Carla Danziger, president of the Washington, DC chapter.
The WNBA, a broad-based non-profit organization, was founded in New York City in 1917 when women were not allowed to attend the annual book industry conference. With chapters open to women and men in nine cities, numerous corporate sustaining members, and corresponding members'all who work with and value books--WNBA exists to promote reading and to support the role of women in the community of the book.
Ann Heidbreder Eastman Grant Awarded.
The Eastman Grant committee is pleased to announce that Frances Yates is the recipient of the 2004 WNBA/Ann Heidbreder Eastman Grant. Ms. Yates is Education Librarian at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she teaches, is liaison for special services and campus organizations, and does collection development for multicultural resources. She also purchases research materials for the School of Education and children?s literature for the University's Instructional Material Center.
She wrote, "I propose to take a Publishing Strategies seminar offered by Pace University. This seminar, part of a publishing certification program, examines, in-depth, specific areas in the field of book and specialized media publications. This will help me in my career, for as I gain a better understanding of the publishers' process and strategies, it will enable me to create a more realistic and balanced profile of resources that best match the profile for our multicultural collection development. Completing the Publishing Strategies seminar will give me fuller understanding of a side of the publishing world other than simply as a library consumer."
Ms. Yates will take the seminar in early summer, 2005.
Sylvia H. Cross, WNBA/Eastman Grant Chair
Who is your favorite children's bookseller?
The Women's National Book Association wants to know about bookstores in the United States that excel at creatively bringing books and children together and inspiring children's interest in books and reading. WNBA will present the Lucile Micheels Pannell Award to two bookstores (one general and one children's bookstore) at Book Expo America. Each recipient will receive a check for $1000 plus a framed piece of original art by a children's book illustrator.
To nominate your favorite U.S. bookstore that inspires children to read, provide the name of the store, address and phone number, a contact person at the store, and email address along with a brief reason why you believe they are worthy of the Award. Please send your nomination to eidh@yahoo.com or to Pannell Award Nomination, 5200 South 6th Place, Arlington, VA 22204.
Deadline for nominations is January 31, 2005. Please include your name and industry affiliation.
Contact Information:
Name: Eileen Hanning, WNBA Pannell Chair
Phone: 703-998-8541
Fax: 703-998-8818
email: eidh at yahoo.com
WNBA Announces Children's Bookseller Award Winners
The Women's National Book Association is proud to announce the winners of this year's Lucile Micheels Pannell Award. This year's Award for a general bookstore goes to U Conn Co-op in Storrs, Connecticut. The winner in the children's specialty category is Hicklebee's Children's Books in San Jose, California. The Awards will be presented at BookExpo America in Chicago at the Children's Book and Author Breakfast sponsored by the American Booksellers Association (ABA)-Children's Book Council (CBC) Joint Committee, the Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) and BookExpo America on Friday, June 4. Each winner will receive a check for $1000 and a framed piece of original art created by a children's book illustrator. This year's art was contributed by artists Denise Fleming and Mo Willems.
The Pannell Award was created in 1983 to honor Ms. Pannell, a model bookwoman and children's bookseller. The Award recognizes retail bookstores who excel at creatively bringing books and children together and inspiring children's interest in books and reading.
"The entries from our nominees this year were so inspiring. These stores are really on the right track, not only in terms of helping young readers develop a passion for books, but also in terms of running smart, responsive businesses. The winners this year demonstrated an extraordinary desire and ability engage young readers and energize their growing love of books while simultaneously reaching out to the entire children's book buying market. From expectant parents to budding readers, elusive teens, proud grand-parents and those adults who just like to read children's literature, Hicklebee's and U Conn Co-op do an amazing job serving children and the adults who buy books for them," says Eileen Hanning, WNBA's Pannell Committee Chair.
After six weeks of deliberation, the jury of five book industry professionals selected U Conn Co-op and Hicklebee's based on their creativity, responsiveness to community needs, passion, and understanding of children's books and young readers.
One juror's comment sums up the impression Hicklebee's made: "How can you beat this store? It is a truly amazing example of energetic, pro active and involved bookselling with a tremendous focus and understanding of the children's book marketplace." The jury was especially impressed with Hicklebee's efforts to reach the young reader from before birth through their teen years. "Their baby registry program," says another juror, "is an excellent way to get expectant parents to visit a children's book store and see that it's never too early for books to be part of a child's life." Their innovative press conference format for Paul Fleischman's book, Dateline Troy, resulted in standing-room only turnout of elusive YA readers. The Hicklebee's Book of the Year Award showcases their staff's 200 years of combined children's book selling experience and makes their favorite books bestsellers. They have excellent models for community outreach programs and author and media relations. For example, these two ideas draw patrons specifically to Hicklebee's: Their Book Bonus Program raises funds for schools to buy books. Each time a patron buys books at Hicklebee's, the school they designate earns credit toward book purchases. Hicklebee's collection of author artifacts throughout the store encourages customers to seek out new titles and old favorites, making a trip to their store a trip to a museum too!
U Conn Co-op's intense focus on children's books caught the jury by surprise. They didn't expect a university book store to expend so much effort on children's programming, hand selling, and community outreach. "They've done a great job serving the children of a university community. They have recognized needs and stepped in to fill them," remarked a juror. Their Saturday morning summer program, regular story times and activities in schools, and their extraordinary relationship with the local reading specialist demonstrate the depth of their commitment to serving the particular needs of their rural community. Their Connecticut Children's Book Fair, now more than ten years old, draws thousands of attendees and raises money for the Northeast Children's Literature Collections. For fifteen years they've been supporting the Books for Babies program ensuring that every newborn in the local hospital receives a children's book. Their Storyline allows a child to hear a new story read aloud each week by a bookseller or community member any time, day or night, by calling a dedicated phone line. U Conn Co-op also recognized and responded creatively to the fact that many of their faculty members are grandparents. The faculty comes in to the store regularly, and they like to buy books for their grandchildren, so the store is ready for them with old favorites, books on places to visit with kids, and special notices about new books in stock.
In addition to the award winners, the jury selected the following stores for honorable mention:
Kid's Center, Tucson, Arizona
Oblong Books and Music, Millerton, New York
This year's jury consisted of:
Jenny Abrami, Chronicle Books
Steve Geck, Greenwillow Books
Judy Hijikata, The Reading Connection
Angus Killick, Hyperion Books for Children
Susan Raab, Raab Associates
The Women's National Book Association, founded in 1917, is a national organization of women and men who work with and value books. WNBA, an all-volunteer organization, exists to promote reading and to support the role of women in the community of the book. To learn more about the organization, visit their website at www.wnba-books.org
WNBA Announces Children's Bookseller Award Nominees
The Women's National Book Association is proud to announce the nominees for this year's Lucile Micheels Pannell Award. The Pannell Award was established in 1983 to honor Ms. Pannell, a model bookwoman and children's bookseller. The Award recognizes retail bookstores that excel at creatively bringing books and children together and inspiring children's interest in books and reading. WNBA will present the Award to two bookstores (one general and one children's bookstore) at BookExpo America 2004 in Chicago. Each recipient will receive a check for $1000 and a framed piece of original art by a children's book illustrator.
This year nine stores were nominated in the children's bookstore category and five stores were nominated in the general bookstore category. "Once again, we've received impressive nominations," says Eileen Hanning, WNBA's Pannell Committee Chair. "These bookstores are reaching young readers in innovative ways. It's clear to me why these stores are so beloved in their communities. Their creativity and commitment to fostering a love a reading make them models for the children's bookselling industry."
The nominees in the children's specialty store category are:
Alphabet Soup Books, Lawrenceville NJ
Booktenders Children's Bookstore, Doylestown PA
The Children's Bookstore, Baltimore MD
Dragonwings Bookstore, Waupaca WI
Hicklebee's Children's Books, San Jose CA
Hobbit Hall Children's Bookstore, Roswell GA
Kid's Center, Tucson AZ
A Likely Story, Plano TX
Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop, La Verne CA
The nominees in the general store category are:
Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston TX
BookPeople Bookstore, Austin TX
Oblong Books and Music, Millerton NY
Sparta Book Shop, Sparta NJ
UConn Co-op, Storrs CT
The 2001 winner, A Whale of a Tale in Irvine, California was also nominated. Previous winners may compete again after seven years, if nominated.
The Women's National Book Association, founded in 1917, is a national organization of women and men who work with and value books. WNBA, an all-volunteer organization, exists to promote reading and to support the role of women in the community of the book. To learn more about the organization visit their web page at www.wnba-books.org.
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