- 2020 Oct 23
Upstate New York Gets a New Store
Riot Act opened in Binghamton and dubs itself an "anti-profit" bookstore.
Taiwanese Bookstore Tries Something New
Wuguan Books asks customers to shop in the dark, with only book covers spotlit.
U.K. Booksellers See Silver Lining
Booksellers in the U.K. are optimistic about book sales, which have spiked despite new coronavirus restrictions.
- 2020 Oct 22
Sales as L.A. Bookstore Are Down 80%
The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles is suffering a huge decline in sales, but remains optimistic.
Utah Bookstore Is Scraping By
Weller Book Works in Salt Lake City is facing one of the most difficult periods in its 91 years in business.
Japanese Chain Expands to China
Tsutaya Books Co. has just opened its first Chinese outlet in Hangzhou.
Spooky Michigan Bookstore Opens
Deadtime Stories recently opened in Lansing. It focuses on true crime, mystery, and horror.
- 2020 Oct 21
From BuzzFeed
Stephanie Perkins Reflects on Her Debut Novel 10 Years Later and the Neflix Adaptation of Her Recent YA Horror Novel.
From USA Today
Making it 'so that it's normal': LGBTQ-inclusive books going to students of all ages, preschool to high school.
From ALMA
See the nominees for the 2021 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
From Deadline
Endeavor Content Acquires Jennifer Donnelly Fantasy Novel Poisoned.
From Entertainment Weekly
The Magic Fish author Trung Le Nguyen discusses the heroism of fairy tales: 'It's a fantasy of growth.'
From Connecticut Magazine
Author and earth scientist Darcie Little Badger on her new YA novel and the "explosion" of Native American fiction.
From NPR
Flamer by Mike Curato Offers Real Hope—Not Just Rainbows—to Queer Kids.
From Lifehacker
‘I'm Writer and YA Author Preeti Chhibber, and This Is How I Work.’
From the New York Times
The Witches Review: A Tale of Mice and Women, Toil and Trouble.
From Book Riot
Tiffany D. Jackson and the “Stress” of It All.
From Inside Higher Ed
Lessons learned while teaching a college course on tackling tough subjects using picture books.
From Book Riot
Adapting the Baby-Sitters Club from Novels to Graphic Novels.
From Literary Hub
Cory Doctorow on the Difference Between Writing YA Fiction and His Latest "Grown" Novel.
Chicagoland Stores Fight to Survive
Powell's Books and Seminary Co-op Bookstore in Chicago continue to struggle amidst the pandemic.
Pandemic Is Impacting California Stores
A quartet of bookstores in Pasadena are saying sales must improve dramatically if they are to remain in business.
Nebraska Gets a New Bookstore
The Book Nook has opened in Papillon, outside Omaha. It sells new and used books.
- 2020 Oct 20
Manhattan's New Black Bookstore
The new Schomburg Shop has opened in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem.
New Bookstore in the Works for Chicago
At Exile in Bookville is a bookstore that is being planned by long-time bookseller Javier Ramirez and Kristin Enola Gilbert.
Selfies: Not Just for Phone Cameras
Cartoonist De La Cruz, an “artist and activist from the Bronx and a lover of New York,” conducts a video workshop on “drawing selfies” as part of The Believer magazine’s ongoing series of video workshops by comics artists. De La Cruz’s forthcoming graphic memoir, I’m a Wild Seed, will be published by Street Noise Books in February 2021.
Animation Nation
New York magazine’s pop culture news site Vulture reached out to our PW colleague John Maher and his collaborator Eric Vilas-Boas, editors of the Dot + Line, the now-dormant animation news site, to oversee a team of researchers that have collected 100 influential sequences in animation history. This remarkable listing and display of video excerpts begins in 1892 with a segment of Théâtre Optique by Charles-Émile Reynaud, ends with one from Steven Universe in 2019, and in between presents key sequences from a captivating range of animated works that have enriched and transformed the medium.
A New, New Negro
In October, Oxford University Press will release a paperback edition Jeffrey C. Stewart’s The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke, an acclaimed biography of Locke, who was a longtime Howard University professor, the first Black Rhodes Scholar, and a key critical and mentoring presence during the Harlem Renaissance, the seminal flowering of African American literary, visual and performing arts that took place during the 1920s. The book was awarded a 2018 National Book Award as well as a 2019 Pulitzer Prize and Stewart was profiled by PW.
Art Spiegelman’s Maus at 40
Forty years after the publication of the first chapter of Maus, Art Spiegelman’s Holocaust graphic memoir masterwork, the cartoonist talks with The Guardian about working on the book, its impact on his career, on the broader culture of comics publishing, and on political cartooning during the Trump regime.
The Global Multi-Verse
Over at The Millions Nick Ripatrazone surveys six new books of poetry that are being released in October.
- 2020 Oct 19
From Reuters
A row in Hungary around children's book fuels fears of rising homophobia.
From People
Country Singer Jimmie Allen Writes Debut Kids' Book My Voice Is a Trumpet, a 'Gentle Call to Action.'
Boston Bookseller Honored by NBA Team
The Boston Celtics recently honored Jim James, owner of Park Street Books in Medfield, as a hero for his deliveries of children's books.
From the Guardian
Children’s author Michael Rosen to publish book about his near-fatal Covid-19 ordeal.
New Zealand Celebrates Bookshop Day
More than 190 bookstores across the island nation marked the occasion.
From West Side Rag
How Fancy Nancy Author Jane O'Connor and a Rising Star Became BFFs.
Wales Is Closing Bookstores Due to Covid
All bookstores in Wales will be closed for at least two weeks as part of an effort to thwart rising cases of infection.
From NPR
The I Survived Books Are Perfect Reads for an Anxious Age.
California Store Reopens After Update
Underground Books in Sacramento has expanded, remodeled, and reopened.
From the Los Angeles Times
Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver on their new book and helping kids feel less alone.
- 2020 Oct 16
Oregon Gets a New Bookstore
Canvasback Books is opening in Klamath Falls.
A New Bookstore Comes to Iowa
Dog-Eared Books is opening in Ames early next year. The store already sells books online.
A Bookstore for L.A.'s Latinx Community
Alegría Mobile Bookstore is a virtual and mobile bookstore for the Latinx community in Los Angeles.
- 2020 Oct 15
The Plight of the Local Bookstore
Independent booksellers are desperate for customers to return, the 'New York Times' reports—and not just for an online reading.
Early Voters Get Discount at Texas Store
Patchouli Joe’s Books and Indulgences in Leander is giving early voters a 10% discount.
- 2020 Oct 14
From Entertainment Weekly
How Serpentine sets the stage for Philip Pullman's Book of Dust trilogy.
From the Guardian
25 years of His Dark Materials: Philip Pullman on the journey of a lifetime.
From Time
The 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time.
From Deadline
HBO Developing Adaptation of Ibi Zoboi’s Pride.
From Variety
Elf on the Shelf Movies and TV Shows Are Coming to Netflix.
From the Baltimore Sun
Colby Rodowsky, prolific author of children’s and young adult novels, has died at age 88.
From Entertainment Weekly
Hunger Games movies producer and book publisher talk new President Snow prequel.
From Amnesty International
Amnesty International, Angelina Jolie, and Geraldine Van Bueren partner to author a child rights book.
From the Guardian
Neil Gaiman: 'Narnia made me want to write, to do that magic trick.'
From Book Riot
“Readers Are Realizing Their Hunger for Our Stories”: Native Literature for Kids and Teens.
From Literary Hub
Leo Lionni’s gorgeous picture books are about what it means to be an artist.
From the Guardian
Picture book legend Oliver Jeffers: 'I've got my wife's bite marks tattooed on my finger.'
From Brightly
Pablo Cartaya on the Importance of Latinx Representation in Children’s Literature.
From Literary Hub
The Westing Game May Be a Murder Mystery—But It’s Also a Ghost Story.
From Brightly
Author Brad Meltzer and Illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos on the Heroes and Lessons We Need Right Now.
From Mashable
11 children’s books to teach kids about gender equality.
- 2020 Oct 13
Michigan Bookstore Offers Succor
Horizon Books in Traverse City has succeeded in becoming a genuine community hub.
Los Angeles Bookstore Pivots
LA Librería, a specialty Spanish-language bookstore, has had to find new ways to connect with customers during the pandemic.
How a Small New York Bookstore Survives
Avoid the Day bookstore in Rockaway Beach, Queens, opened earlier this year and found customers in the midst of the pandemic.
- 2020 Oct 09
Los Angeles Bookstores Face Cash Crunch
Several Los Angeles Bookstores are facing financial shortfalls and turning to crowdfunding to raise cash.
New York City Kids' Store Is Moving
Books of Wonder on 18th Street in Manhattan is moving to a new location a block away at 42 West 17th St. The move will be completed this month.
Chicago Is Losing an Indie Store
City Lit Books in Logan Square is closing in December as a result of lost sales from the pandemic.
Las Vegas Bookstore to Close
Amber Unicorn Books in Las Vegas is closing after 39 years in business.
Big Bad Wolf Goes Virtual
Big Bad Wolf, the traveling remainder books pop-up bookseller based in Malaysia, has turned to hosting virtual book sales.
- 2020 Oct 08
L.A. Bookstores Fight for Survival
Several Los Angeles bookstores discuss their pandemic problems and the struggles ahead.
Baltimore Bookstore Reopens After Move
The Ivy Bookshop has reopened in a new location two blocks from its former home.
- 2020 Oct 07
From Time
Why a Children's Book Is Becoming a Symbol of Resistance in Hungary’s Fight Over LGBT Rights.
From Hypable
Lumberjanes animated series set at HBO Max.
From People
Audrey Hepburn's Son Writes Kids' Book About Her Life.
Wisconsin Gets a New Bookstore
Lunar & Lake Book Market opened in Fond du Lac last week.
From 98 FM
Rebel Wilson Is Writing a Children's Book.
Late Denver Black Bookseller Honored
Louis Freeman, founder of Hue-Man Experience Book Store and TeaLee's TeaHouse, is remembered for his contribution to society.
From Literary Hub
Where Are the Unlikeable Female Characters in Young Adult Fiction?
From Book Riot
Why the Medieval Girl in the Tower Trope Still Exists in YA Lit.
From the Washington Post
If you want to get your kids in the kitchen, these books and other resources can help.
From Broadway World
Watch the Trailer for Dash & Lily on Netflix.
- 2020 Oct 06
Massachusetts Gets a New Kids' Bookstore
Word on the Street, an independent children’s bookstore, opened in Marlborough last week.
Pandemic Could Close Paris Booksellers
The Covid-19 crisis is threatening Paris's famed Seine-side booksellers, "les bouquinistes," who have been around since the 1500s.
Restored: Native Son The Movie
Film distributor Kino Lorber has produced a restoration of the 1951 film version of Richard Wright's acclaimed novel Native Son, a book focused on the oppression of African Americans under American racism. The film stars Wright as the protagonist Bigger Thomas. The film was heavily censored when it was first released and for this restoration a complete 16mm print of the original film release in Argentina was combined with an incomplete but uncensored 35mm negative to create the most complete version of Native Son available in the U.S. Kino Lorber plans to screen the film online.
Immigrants Get The Job Done
The Association of the U.S. Army, a nonprofit educational and professional development resource serving U.S. soldiers, has released the latest in a series of graphic novels to honor recipients of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor that can be awarded to members of the U.S. military. The latest release is Medal of Honor: Tibor Rubin by Chuck Dixon, Rick Magyar, and Le Beau Underwood, the story of the only holocaust survivor to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Rubin emigrated to the U.S. after World War II, joined the army and fought in the Korean War. During the war in 1950 he single-handedly fought off a North Korean attack and inflicted enormous casualties on the enemy. He was captured and while imprisoned continued to risk his life to help his fellow prisoners. The comic is free to download.
Black Stories Matter
Melanin in YA is an online resource and directory for information on black storytellers and producers. Created by Melody Simpson and funded by a GofundMe campaign, the site is designed to provide a wide range of information on Black writers, agents, editors, and designers as well as news about book rights, TV options and much more.
Just The Two of Them & Books
Wade and Cheryl Hudson, cofounders of Just Us Books, a groundbreaking publisher focused on producing books for African American children and young adults, have produced Just Us &, an online interview show on YouTube. The show’s hosts interview authors, editors and others that work to get books into the hands of readers, librarians and booksellers.
On The Road to California
The Millions’s Marie Myung-Ok Lee talks with the novelist C Pam Zhang about her new novel How Much of these Hills is Gold, “a thrilling, lyrical take on the harsh and beautiful landscapes of the American West.” It’s the story of two Chinese American siblings that take off after their abusive father dies and must figure out how to survive while traveling through Zhang’s literary dreamscape. The book was longlisted for the Booker Prize.
- 2020 Oct 05
Michigan Bookstore Changes Names
The Mitten Word in Marshall is changing its name to New Story Community Books. It has been open since 2018.
Brooklyn Bookstore Reopens
McNally Jackson has reopened its downtown Brooklyn City Point location, closed since March.
From Deadline
J.J. Abrams to Produce Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Movie at Warner Bros Amid Dr. Seuss Ramp-Up.
Florida Gets a New Bookstore
Fat Cat Books, a used bookstore, has opened in Tallahassee and also operates as a cat sanctuary.
From Literary Hub
Ramona Quimby and the Art of Writing from a Kid’s Mind.
From Book Riot
10 Great Books About Kid Detectives.
From the New York Times
8 Picture Books About Ordinary Kids’ Everyday Activism.
- 2020 Oct 02
Massachusetts City's Bookstore Turnover
The Sea Howl Bookstore has opened in Orleans, while the Booksmith has closed.
Kentucky Loses a Bookstore
Books on Main in Hopkinsville is closing permanently. It had been open since 2015.
Virginia Booksellers Talk Shop
The owners of Fountain Bookstore in Richmond and Chop Suey Books in Carytown discuss the role of booksellers in these trying times.
Russian Online Bookseller Plans IPO
Ozon, Russia's equivalent to Amazon, is planning an IPO in the United States.
Ontario Store Has Early Impact on Locals
River Bookshop in Amherstburg opened late this summer and is already enhancing its local community.
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