One of the best things about owning a children’s bookstore is getting to know kids. This might sound obvious, but there is real joy in becoming friends with kids. Often we have the privilege of being part of a child’s life from birth on and that is a truly amazing thing. Watching a children grow from babyhood to full-fledged readers, to high school and college students and beyond is one of the unspoken joys of bookstore life. As we celebrate our 20th year in November, I am struck by how many children I’ve seen grow into fine young adults. Continue reading →

Recently, a teacher sent me a link to an article recommending books to help children understand some of the struggles their peers of color – and those friends’ ancestors – have faced in our country. The teacher hadn’t read most of the books on the list and wondered if we at the Flying Pig would recommend those titles. It is a good, if short, list; I’m familiar with almost all of the books and those I’ve read, I’ve liked. But I didn’t want to think of her classroom collection stopping there.
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With fading leaves already on the ground I knew it was time to pay Autumn a visit to get some insight into which books published this Fall will be most worthy of our attention.
Kenny: Thank you for taking some time for us.
Autumn: It’s my pleasure, Kenny. Though I must ask you to sign this document please.
Kenny: Sure. Let’s see. Hmmn. What is this?
I, __________________________ interviewer of Seasons, in the interests of the sanctity and safety of said Seasons do hereby agree to respect the principal of Genre Singularity without exception.
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We were shocked to learn the tragic news of the passing of author Anna Dewdney. We were lucky enough to host her at the store, and hear her own voice share her Llama Llama stories with children, and see her draw those adorable characters on a big easel pad. We are proud that she was a fellow Vermonter, who charmed a nation of children with her little woolly guy.
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Back in the day when the bookstore first opened 20 years ago, there were only paper catalogs. Boxes of them would arrive and we would sort them by the imprints we were likely to order from. There was a good divide-and-conquer approach to ordering. Elizabeth and I would each take catalogs and mark them up and then trade them back and forth. Now, there really are no paper catalogs as almost all publishers have switched to the Edelweiss order platform online. I understand the savings, both financial and for the environment, by this shift, not to mention having the most current book release information. Ordering online, while ultimately easier because the order data can be easily downloaded into the bookstore’s POS system saving countless hours of data entry, is still not something I enjoy.  Continue reading →

Most Vermont public schools started on Wednesday and there has been a steady stream of kids in the store getting what they think will be the last few pleasure reading books they can. Kids moving up grades into the unknown world, new teachers, and homework loads make them understandably anxious about their reading time. I love this yearly phenomenon. It speaks to the power of reading in a profound way. Kids who spent the summer reading whatever they wanted are already feeling bereft at the potential loss of this special time.  Continue reading →

Few things are inhabited by as much charm as a well-loved bookcase. I thought it would be fun to feature some photos of especially dear ones here. Given that the best place to find a brook trout is in a brook, it seemed clear to me that the best place to find charming bookcases would be in the homes of people who make their living creating, producing and selling books. Putting theory into practice I put out a call two weeks ago to ShelfTalker readers asking that they send in a photo of a favorite bookcase along with a description of why it is a personal favorite. The delightful results are below. I added a fun book to spot in each bookcase. Thanks to everyone who sent in photos!
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