Clarion's Joann Hill and Dinah Stevenson compare notes between appointments. Photo: Mario Ventimiglia

At the warmest Bologna fair that anyone could remember, publishers from all parts of the globe convened to talk children's books in the Italian sunshine. Bobby Byrd, publisher of Cinco Puntos Press, called it an upbeat and businesslike fair. "We've had a lot of meetings and people are starting to know more about our books."

Few publishers were reporting acquisitions, but several trends have emerged—most noticeably, fewer trilogies are being offered than in recent years. "They're still around but it's not quite the craze," said Mary Cash, v-p and executive editor at Holiday House. Allyn Johnston, Harcourt editor-in-chief, noted, "Publishers actually seem really sheepish now about pulling out a trilogy."

But that doesn't mean fantasy trilogies are dead in the water, either. Random House had a new one to unveil: The Tapestry Trilogy by debut author Henry Neff. Rights director Pam White had sold it into five territories just before the fair, and judging from the interest she'd seen this week, she was expecting to sell it to many more when she gets back.

Fairies seem to be the latest big thing on the British stands—especially in chapter books and series. "Everyone's got one, it seems," Johnston said. But as one American editor points out, "With the dollar so low against the pound, it's really going to be an uphill battle to make a book work."

"If someone comes along who seems like the right person: a knowledgeable bookseller who knows how to run a business, and is passionate about children's literature, then I hope to sell it. Otherwise, I'll just close it," says Mannino, who intends to retire from bookselling in February.

"It's my baby. I raised it for 20 years. That's why I'll be awfully picky about who I pick," she adds. She offered the store to her four employees, but found no takers, as her staff is either "too young to accept the responsibility or too close to retiring themselves."

Mannino founded Halfway Down the Stairs in Rochester, Mich., in 1988, and says that it has always made a profit, "including the first year it opened."

"Cammie's very independent," says Jim Dana, executive director of the Great Lakes Booksellers Association. "She's the personification of the independent bookseller. She's remaining true to herself by going out while she's on top. I just hope she finds a buyer. It'd be a real shame for that community to lose such a wonderful store."

Halfway Down the Stairs, widely regarded as one of the country's leading children's bookstores, received the Pannell Award for Excellence in Children's Bookselling from the WNBA in 2003. —Claire Kirch

• Candy Apple Books, one of five new series from Scholastic, are stand-alone chick lit titles for tweens. Various authors will write for the series, including Mimi McCoy, author of the first title, The Accidental Cheerleader; and Laura Dower, who wrote the second novel, The Boy Next Door. Both titles were published in January.

• I (heart) Bikinis, from the Point imprint at Scholastic, are beach reads that combine humor and romance. Tamara Summers wrote the debut title He's with Me (May) and Jeanine Le Ny has written the second offering, Island Summer, due out in June.

• The Ellie Chronicles by John Marsden (Scholastic Press) launches in April with While I Live, a new series that follows some of the same characters from Marsden's Tomorrow series.