I hope this note finds you well, and surviving the last vestiges of winter.

Here at ABC headquarters, we've been working very hard getting ready for all our exciting spring and summer projects, including the launch of a new newsletter, the EB White Awards, BEA, the New Voices Project, and the birth of ABC's official mascot, baby Lola!

Lots of exciting news to tell, so read on!

-Kristen

ABC has been very active in January and February. The E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Committee, chaired by Board Member Alison Morris, collected your nominations and discussed them thoroughly.  I understand that they have chosen a winner in each category, and Kristen will be making an internal announcement shortly along with sending out promo packets to members.  In my store the sticker for this award is like a magnet for customers, because so many of them are looking for exactly this recommendation - a great book to read aloud to their children.  Congratulations to the committee and thanks for all of your hard work. 

Another committee is beginning its work - the Nominating Committee for the ABC Board of Directors chaired by Carol Chittenden.  A formal announcement went out over the list-serve asking for interested booksellers from all regions except the mid-west, mid-atlantic and northern California, to submit their names to via e-mail to Carol.

Serving on the Board is fun and not too time consuming.  If you love networking with booksellers, are passionately interested in ABC programs, have lots of time to volunteer at BEA, and can take three days in the fall to attend a marathon board meeting in Boston - then get in touch with Carol.  If technology solutions, internet browsing, and blogging come naturally to you, that would be a plus as we plan for the future of ABC. 

Our amazing director, Kristen McLean, has news about this year's ABC initiatives.  I am especially excited about two projects that began as small proposals that I had years ago, which are now flourishing thanks to Board support and incredible execution by Anne and Kristen.  The first is the New Voices Program, which began by introducing a new author at the ABC luncheon at BEA, and is now expanding to include a gallery of new author titles at the luncheon, and a monthly new author profile in ABC's new business newsletter, The Toolbox.  Launching this month, this newsletter is the answer I have been looking for to connect booksellers and publishers with both a forum for issues and a venue for publishers to offer galleys, promotional offers etc. directly to children's booksellers. Like a monthly vitamin, it will be packed with tips, resources, and ideas for getting the most out of your children's sales.  

All in all it has been a good winter for ABC.  Remember to thank all of the committee members and especially Kristen for jobs well done.

Wishing you prosperous days and warm nights,

Ellen Davis
President, ABC Board of Directors
Dragonwings Bookstore
Waupaca, WI

 

As most of you know, Kristen is expecting her first baby at the end of March, and although she is a wonder woman, we know she will have to slow down and spend some time bonding with Russell and baby Lola. So, in order to keep ABC moving forward, and to give the new family some quiet time before BEA, we have hired Rachel Hochberg to assist Kristen from March 15^th until June 1st.

 Rachel will be covering the day to day operations of ABC, including answering phones and routine e-mail, processing new memberships, and handling weekly mailings. Generally, she will keep all the ABC tops spinning smoothly. In addition, she will be handling all of the reservations for ABC programming at BEA, including the ABC New Voices Luncheon on Thursday, and The Secret Garden Silent Auction and Dinner With Children's Booksellers on Friday. (See the BEA update below for more on that.)

Rachel is currently a Master's student in the Children's Literature Program at Simmons College in Boston. She received her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr, where she majored in English and Creative Writing. She also has an extensive and varied background in administrative positions. She has studied abroad in England, and is an active member of The Uncut Pages Theatre Company. When she isn't working, Rachel is an avid reader who dabbles in a variety of creative arts in her spare time; she finds tedious sewing, martial arts, and shuffling cards to be highly meditative and relaxing. (She also has a great sense of humor.)

 Welcome Rachel!

It's finally here!

The maiden voyage of ABC's snappy new resource newsletter for children's booksellers, The Toolbox.

Scheduled to be released on the 15^th of every month, (Thursday, March 15^th will be the first), the Toolbox will focus on ideas, tips, resources, promotions, contests, book, author, and small press profiles, and other great ideas to keep your creative juices flowing.

The goal of The Toolbox is to create a really fun and useful tool for children's booksellers that would provide a mix of creativity and business ideas that you can put to use right away. It is a work in progress, and we welcome your input.

The inaugural issue will feature an Ideas that Work feature, a round up of new and notable children's book  stories you may have missed, a section of downloadable materials for your customers, a summary of current publisher promotions and contests, a fun links section, and a profile of our first New Voices Project.

As we move forward, we expect The Toolbox to grow and get better based on your ideas and input, so once you see it, give us your feedback. We don't want it to be just another newsletter--we want it to feel like a shot of creative juice!

Look for it, and let us know what you think.

Sponsors:

Marc Brown
Marc Brown Studios

Stores:

Once Upon a Story
Cyndie Kalina
Long Beach, CA

Man in the Moon Children's Bookshoppe
Vicki Worsham
Monroe, GA

Stellabella Toys
Rick Henry
Cambridge, MA

The Bookstall at Chestnut Court
Liz Moore
Winnetka, IL

The Blue Bunny
Janet Reynolds
Dedham, MA

Publishers

Treasure Bay, Inc.

Don Panec

Chooseco LLC

Shannon Gilligan

Associates

Kate Kubert Puls

Publicist

Children's Literature Network

Vicki L. Palmquist

Authors & Illustrators

Anita Silvey

Debra S. Carr

Mary Hubbert Jones

Sue Corbett

Lilly K. Pope

Steve Zuckerman

Nancy Carol Willis

Gail Gauthier