On Saturday, I participated in a "Kids Heart Authors" book signing at Children’s Book Cellar in Waterville, Maine. Also present was Maria Padian signing her first YA novel, Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress, and author/illustrator Kevin Hawkes who read from his newest book: Chicken Cheeks (written by Michael Ian Black). Those of you who have seen me present know that I lean toward the mildly subversive picture book, and this one (which provides more names for animal buttocks than you could imagine) definitely fits the bill — no but about it. I can’t wait to share this book with both students and teachers.

Children’s Book Cellar is a truly magical place. What makes it so exceptional? Every inch of the warm, color-splashed store is filled with fabulous literature. I can’t imagine any child (or any adult for that matter) resisting the charms of the books that line these walls. I wanted to leave with armfuls of new stories. Owner Ellen Richmond loves her job as children’s literature aficionado and it shows.
 

Unfortunately, independent bookstores like the Children’s Book Cellar are quickly becoming extinct – a trend that started before the recession and is tragically expedited by our reluctance to spend.

This week, remember the one book that changed your life. Perhaps it’s a book from your childhood or teen years, perhaps it’s a children’s book that you adore and share with your students year after year. (Thank you Mrs. Burgess for reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond to me.) And then visit your independent bookseller and show your love.  Buy just one more.