Post-Winter Reading Lists, or Why Summer Can't Arrive Soon Enough

Typical Scarletta Employee Behavior

Winter has battered us all this year. Intense storms, bad road conditions, record lows... but I digress. This post is an ode to Summer, and the delicious books that we gobble up on our summer reading lists. This post is about why summer should already be here! Denzel has talked about book diets, the PW blog talked about vacation reading, and now as a publisher, it's time for us to start talking about summer reading.

Summer reading is important on so many levels. The majority of libraries create FANTASTIC reading programs designed to engage kids of all ages (we highly recommend you enroll your kids in one). Publishers come out with great lists for varying tastes (seriously, every publisher has summer recommendations). More people choose to read for fun - to engage themselves in books while on summer vacation (honestly, who doesn't enjoy a good book while getting a tan?).

So before you cover yourselves in books, here are our recommendations - a few books from the Scarletta catalog to add to the lists of our voracious readers...

Calling all Small Business Supporters - You're ALWAYS Needed

Yesterday, I was inspired by the PW Shelftalker blog "It's More Than Shopping Local." It was full of passion for independent stores, not just bookstores, but all locally owned stores. I read every day about how bricks and mortar stores are being pushed out of their space or forced to close because some big business has either bought out their space or bought out their customers. I feel pain when I see that happen, but then I also read stories about new stores that are able to open or stores that are able to increase in size, and I love how exciting that is (especially for bookstores)!

Just yesterday I read The Bookstore in the Grove's story in Coconut Grove, FL, of being pushed out of their great retail space and into a much lower traffic purchasing location. What a nerve wracking move, but with amazing and loyal support they have continued to be a part of their community. I also have been keeping up on the potential closing of Chapter 2 Books in Hudson, WI, and their final great announcement of finding a new space and being able to stay open. So many people have offered to help them move - what a great community!

I love these stories, and the majority of people do, so why don't we do more to support local? "It's easier to shop online." "I know the larger store has exactly what I need." How many excuses can we give?  There are just as many reasons to support our small businesses, and much better ones at that. To name a few:

• Your community will remain unique
• You'll help create jobs
• You'll receive amazing customer service
• Your taxes will be put to good use

Small businesses are always in need of their supporters, so we at Scarletta encourage you to make the pledge: #PledgetoShopLocal. It doesn't matter what business it is... grab fruits & veggies at your local farmer's markets, sip the beverages at your local coffee shops, purchase gifts at local boutiques, and definitely buy your next read at your local indie bookstore. You'll be creating community, and supporting your neighbors!

Small business owners do amazing things every day to give back to their community (I should know, my dad is one). So now it's time for us to give back to them. Let the world know when you are supporting local, and encourage others to do the same.

I'll leave you with the words of Josie Leavitt's inspiring PW blog: "Be preemptive and shop where the passion lives on the shelves every day."

Reading on the Snow Drift

If you're packing for vacation--and we hope that you are--you've probably managed to sneak a book or two into your carry-on or suitcase. It's the time of year, after all, for a little more sunshine and a lot more heat. Before you head off to some sunnier shores or the family timeshare, take a moment to consider what you're taking with ya.

Recently, Josie Leavitt over at Publisher's Weekly, noticed a double standing in vacation reading. Many parents are picking up "potato chip" reads for their own beach bags, but filling their kids' backpacks with books just outside their reach. Why are adults allowed a tough-reading break, but kids are driven to push themselves even further than school is? It's called a vacation. Doesn't everyone deserve one from every facet of the hustle and bustle of daily life?

So why not allow our younger readers some time to read excellent books with the daring and adventurous and likable characters? If you're feeling like the vacation reader in your home could use some exciting variation at a level that's right up their alley, we have some great choices right here at Scarletta!



The Mighty Quinn

Quinn Andrews-Lee feels anything but mighty, and faces a dismal school year. His little sister outshines him athletically and socially, and he yearns for a service award his peers disdain. Not to mention charismatic bigot Matt Barker's goal in life is to torment Quinn and lure his friends to the dark side. When Quinn reports an act of vandalism, he finds himself accused of injuring Matt. Neally Standwell, a free-spirited new kid in Quinn's class, helps Quinn deduce who hurt Matt, but Matt would probably die—and would definitely lie—before admitting the truth.
Through events both comical and poignant, Quinn and Neally solve the mystery just as everything seems to go wrong and manage to thwart a bully without becoming one in turn. And at the end of the day, the fabled ability to belch the entire alphabet might very possibly trump any award ever presented at Turner Creek School.

Barnes & Noble Vs Amazon

Tuesday of this week, Barnes & Noble made a bold statement by informing the world that they would not be selling books released by Amazon Publishing in their bookstores. Barnes & Noble's chief merchandising officer has been quoted as saying, "Our decision is based on Amazon's continued push for exclusivity with publishers, agents and the authors they represent...Their actions have undermined the industry as a whole and have prevented millions of customers from having access to content."
This decision could seriously hinder Amazon's hopes to sign authors who would want their books sold in Barnes & Noble stores. And if Barnes & Noble won't sell Amazon's books, it seems pretty unlikely independent bookstores in the United States would be willing to stock them either.
Whoever would have thought Barnes & Noble could become the David in a David and Goliath story, but I say more power to them. I won't lie, I've used and loved Amazon in the past, but this exclusivity talk just sounds selfish. And if the publishing world really is in jeopardy, like so many say it is, shouldn't we all be working together?

MIBA & Beyond: Book Trade Shows and What They Do

As many of you faithful literature lovers may know, especially you booksellers, the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association (MIBA) Trade Show happened last Thursday and Friday, September 22-23, at The Depot in downtown Minneapolis. And what a great show, and a great venue it was! Claire Kirch, of Publisher's Weekly, reported on the conference, describing the venue as upstaging "everything and everybody at the Midwest Independent Booksellers' annual Conference..." And at Scarletta Press, we'd have to agree: This year's show was in a top-notch location, and brought some top-notch booksellers over to the Scarletta Press table!
Scarletta Press has been strongly emphasizing their new children's line, Junior Bookwormz, since early February of this year. The cornerstone books: The Lexicon Adventure Series by Pendred Noyce. The first book in the series, Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers, debuted on August 9, and has been making a splash in every aspect. The book itself has won over 8 awards, including an IBPA Ben Franklin for 1-2 Color Interior Design, and Honorable Mention from ForeWord Reviews' BOTYAs for Juvenile Fiction, and a Parents' Choice Recommended. ForeWord calls it "...an adventure story for the digital generation...," and School Library Journal says "...readers will be rewarded with a good adventure, affecting lyrical passages, and thought-provoking questions..." With all this buzz, we thought: Let's give Penny Noyce and her books the main focus at the MIBA conference this year.