It's the battle of the sidelines. This year, BookExpo America featured its first-ever "Best New Product of the Show" contest for new sideline products. BEA officials voted on various new products and came up with not one but two innovative winners: the ReadUpon Book Holder and the LEGO Writing System.
The ReadUpon Book Holder, created by Tobin Designs Inc., of Houston, Tex., is a lightweight, portable and exceedingly flexible system for reading in a chair, at a desk, in bed or quite possibly anywhere. The core of the system is a sturdy, clear plastic holder—suitable for most paperback and hardcover publications—that securely holds the book open and allows for easy page turning. A small bean-bag pillow, which attaches to the holder with Velcro strips and comes in an assortment of fabric covers, allows the reader to position the holder at an almost unlimited range of comfortable angles. A nifty item indeed for readers on the go who like their material to behave. Call (877) 390-5901, fax (713) 664-3002, www.readupon.com.
The LEGO Writing System, manufactured by CDM Company Inc., under license from LEGO, is a fun and funky way to build and personalize your own pen. The system includes pens and colorful plastic building elements that collectors can arrange according to whim. Among items featured in the kits are letters and numbers to spell out messages, and there are sets accentuating sports, international flags and greetings, hieroglyphs and such LEGO building-block systems as Aquazone, Dino Island, Adventurer, Knights' Kingdom and—coming this fall—Bionicle. Ideal for back-to-school backpacks and holiday stocking stuffers. Call (949) 644-2820, fax (949) 644-2620, www.legowritingsystem.com.
To help protect those tomes held snugly in position by the ReadUpon Book Holder, N'time of Aurora, Ill., offers stunning book and Bible covers made from leather and African mudcloth in terrific graphic designs. Leather and mudcloth binders in several sizes are equally gorgeous and provide a stylish push to get organized. Leather Palm Pilot covers and note jotters, plus pens made from African woods such as zebrawood, padauk, wenge, babunga and pink ivory, are a few more of N'time's distinctive selections. Call (877) 236-8463, fax (435) 304-3748, e-mail ntimeco@aol.com, www.ntimeco.com.
Some of the liveliest desktop accessories and gifts (fit to accompany those previously mentioned prize winners) come from two young-at-heart companies: RZK Trading Co. Inc., in Ridgefield, Conn., and Made by Humans of Vancouver, B.C.
It would be a very dull desk indeed that didn't respond to the playful modern chic of RZK's assortment of staplers, pencil sharpeners, tape and paperclip dispensers, scissors, calculators, mini-desk clocks and radios, and sleek desk lamps in its I-cessories line. Wall clocks comesin sleek, retro and classic varieties; the unique Container Clock has a see-through border that can be filled with any small collectible or dry ingredient—jelly beans, colored paperclips, whatever. Call (203) 431-0505, fax (203) 431-0414, e-mail RZKT@aol.com.
Adding beauty and fun to the desktop, Made by Humans expands its not inconsiderable array of desktop accoutrements—vases, memo clips and photo holders, clocks and other items. A memo clock with pen combines a desk clock and planner. The attractive modern stainless-steel clock comes with a refillable 50-page notepad marked with the hours of the day that fits over the clock face—making for a very graphic prod to the memory. The spherical, porcelain "sweet bomb" functions simultaneously as a candy (or paperclip) jar and a flower vase. The hollow lid holds enough water for one or two flowers and can stand alone or cap the jar. Call (877) 731-0503, fax (604) 731-0585, e-mail info@madebyhumans.net, www.madebyhumans.net.
For little people and their eternally young caregivers, Candlewick Press, in Cambridge, Mass., announces the fall debut of its new gift line. Based on its bestselling children's book Guess How Much I Love You, and the always popular Mother Goose books, these cards, photo albums and picture frames are charmingly illustrated and beautifully made. The photo album is especially inviting, with pages for photos integrated into pages from the original story. Frames are available in large, individual format and as small, accordian-style frames holding 10 images. Call (617) 661-3330, fax (617) 661-0565, e-mail bigbear@candlewick.com, www.candlewick.com.
MerryMakers Distribution, in Oakland, Calif., talented designers of a fleet of well-loved, book-related dolls, not only adds two new children's book characters—Wodney Wat and Tacky the Penguin—to its 2001 lineup but also expands its historical figures to include a medieval fantasy collection with knight, maiden and unicorn. In addition, the Egyptian Rulers of the Nile series now features a soft, fabric handbag patterned after a pharaoh's head. Certainly the most contemporary—and intriguing—offering in the series is the new Andy Warhol doll and accompanying cat- and shoe-shaped handbags inspired by the artist's work. This doll deserves more than just 15 minutes of fame. Call (888) 989-0454, fax (510) 596-9033, www.merrymakersinc.com.
