The Association of American Publishers is taking the lead in formal lobbying, but other groups are playing an increasing role. The Children’s Book Council, for example, is developing talking points and scripts that publishers can circulate to help employees petition their Senate and House representatives. “There’s been a real flurry of activity in the last couple of weeks,” says Robin Adelson, CBC’s executive director. “People are making phone calls and people are sending e-mails. They’re heeding the call to action.”   

Select titles will be edited for a North American audience by Carolrhoda editorial director Andrew Karre, and will be released in a jacketed hardcover format by Lerner under the Andersen Press USA imprint. Four Andersen Press USA titles—all picture books—will be released this fall: Elmer’s Special Day by David McKee; Flabby Cat and Slobby Dog by Jeanne Willis; Millie’s Marvellous Hat by Satoshi Kitamura; and Wild Washerwomen, illustrated by Quentin Blake, written by John Yeoman. Lerner hopes to release eight Andersen Press USA titles each year.  

E.H. Shepard from the original books. © The Estate of E.H. Shepard.

Benedictus, author of numerous books (though none for children), does have a bit of history with Milne’s honey-loving bear. He had previously produced audiobook adaptations of Milne’s original Pooh books, featuring the voices of Stephen Fry (Pooh) and Judi Dench (Kanga), among others. While working on post-production for those audiobooks—which required the approval of the Trustees of the Pooh Properties—he decided to write a pair of stories about Pooh and send them to the trustees (the four trustees own the copyright for the text and represent the estate of Pooh illustrator E.H. Shepard).  

Slipped into a plastic sleeve suggestive of videocassette packaging, the paper-over-board book is the journal of Ryan, a teen who had a serious accident after a brush with the sinister force shrouding the town of Skeleton Creek. Now confined to his home, Ryan writes of his research into the mystery and his frightening experiences, while his best friend Sarah uses her video camera to track the ominous presence, filming documentary-type footage. Readers use passwords in the journal to access the videos, posted on a dedicated Web site. The site goes live February 10, the laydown date of the book, which has a 100,000-copy first printing.

“I knew this was the worst possible time to start a business,” says Liuzzi, who named the store after her boyfriend’s chocolate Lab. “The morning of the closing my lawyer and financial advisor were in a conference call, with me playing good cop/bad cop. I said, ‘If I don’t do this right now, I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life.’

Graves and her partner Kimberly Diehm, both former librarians, cite the bleak economy as the primary reason for the store’s failure. “We started feeling it as long ago as March of last year,” Graves said. “And then summer, which is traditionally a slow time for us in Las Vegas, was absolutely dead.”

The NeverEnding Story featured popular author signings and events and was successful with its three book clubs: Boys Book Club (ages 10–13), Girls Book Club (8–12) and Rainbow Magic Book Club (ages 5–8). Until last spring it never lacked for customers, and boasted 1,800 names in its email database.’