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Boswell Book Company

2559 North Downer Avenue at Webster Place

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211

(414) 332-1181, www.facebook.com/boswellbooks

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Boswell Book Company Events for Kids                          Day 861, August 12, 2011 

Greetings!

 Shorewood Public LIbrary

Welcome to a special all-kids edition of the Boswell email newsletter. We have a fantabulous fall selection of events lined up, with authors appearing at libraries all over metro Milwaukee. Before we get to the stars of the show, I'd like to tell you how this works. Publishers tour most authors for children and teens differently from the way they send out authors for adults. The focus of their tours are school visits.

 

Greenfield Public LibraryPerhaps your kids have been lucky enough to see D. J. MacHale, Michael Grant, Lisa Yee, or one of the other wonderful writers we've brought to town. Sometimes (as happened recently with Gail Carson Levine), there is no public event component, but other times there's enough time in the schedule for the author to appear publicly. I love public events for several reasons, but mostly because this way, everyone who wants to see the author can do so. I'm still reeling from the wonderfulness of our recent visit from Mo Willems.

 North Shore Library

The big news is that we've gotten so many authors this fall that we're looking for more potential school venues. There are some requirements. We need at least 120 kids to attend. We need to sell the books "book club" style, meaning the kids order the books beforehand and the school or PTO handles the sales. The sales are a very important component that keep us on publisher tour schedules. Note that this does not preclude less-financially-flush districts from West Allis Libraryparticipating--some schools have used grants to subsidize the cost of the book. Quality is also important--authors pay attention to how the events are organized. And finally, we don't like to poach, so if you are working with another bookstore, we ask you to keep and nourish that relationship.

 

These events require one or more champions to be successful. We've found that showing a video trailer in the classroom really helps build enthusiasm. Luckily this is a stupendous collection of authors this fall, with wonderful books that range from grade school to high school reading levels. And if you're wondering, the school does not have to pay an honorarium or travel costs. Want more info on our school event program? Please contact contact Pam at Boswell.

 

But enough about the school events, here are our wonderful library events that everyone can come to.

Peter Brown at the Shorewood Public Library, Thursday Sept. 8, 4 pm.

 

Peter BrownYou Will be My Friend! is the command of the fun new picture book from Peter Brown. Lucy, a darling bear in a pink ribbon and a tutu, wanders around the woods near her home looking to make a friend, but it's harder than it looks.  Her intense enthusiasm and friendliness begins to come across as overbearing and she wonders if she'll ever be able to find friends.  Surely, someone out there wants to be her friend?


Peter Brown's cheerfully colored drawings of animals in people-like situations are guaranteed to make anyone's day brighter. Brown is the author and illustrator of six previous books for kids, including Flight of the Dodo You will be my friend!and The Curious Garden His 2010 bestseller Children Make Terrible Pets, was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book selection and recipient of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books.

 

This event will be held at the Shorewood Public Library, located at 3920 N. Murray Avenue, east of Oakland Avenue and just south of Capitol Drive, in Shorewood. The Shorewood library phone number is (414) 867-2670 and starting time is 4 pm.

Margaret Peterson Haddix at the Franklin  Library, Mon., Sept. 19, 5:30 pm.

 

Margaret Peterson HaddixMargaret Peterson Haddix has been thrilling kids for years with books like Among the Missing and the first two books in the Missing Trilogy, Found and Sent. Now Torn, the third volume, is out and Jonah and Katherine have arrived in 1611, still reeling from their experiences in Roanoke (in the year 1600). Just after arriving, there's a mutiny on Henry Hudson's ship in the icy waters of James Bay. But Tornthings are messed up: they've lost the real John Hudson, and they find what seems to be the fabled Northwest Passage--even though they are pretty sure that that route doesn't actually exist. Will this new version of history replace the real past? Is this the end of time as we know it?  With more at stake than ever before, Jonah and Katherine struggle to unravel the mysteries of 1611 and the Hudson Passage...before everything they know is lost.

 

Peterson Haddix, also author of the Shadow Children series and Just Ella, was a reporter in Indianapolis and lectured in Illinois before settling in Ohio to write kids books. This event takes place at the Franklin Public Library, 9151 W. Loomis Rd., east of Highway 100, just off Drexel. Their phone is (414) 425-8214. This event starts at 5:30 pm.

Lisa McMann at the West Allis Public Library, Thursday, Sept. 22, 4 pm. 

 

Lisa McMannLisa McMann, author of the teen-level Wake trilogy, was inspired to write her new middle grade dystopian novel, The Unwanteds, after contemplating the implications of art and music being cut from schools around the country.

  

Each year, the people of Quill partake in a ceremony, wherein children at the age of thirteen are divided into three categories: the Wanteds, the Necessaries, and the Unwanteds. Wanted children will move on to schooling and training to join the Quillitary and fulfillunwanteds their roles in maintaining an efficient life for all, while Necessaries will take on farm work and similar duties. Any child who has shown a propensity toward emotion or creativity is deemed Unwanted, and sent for elimination. Thirteen-year-old Alex Stowe tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin brother, Aaron, a Wanted, in Quill. But then Alex discovers a shocking secret--the Unwanteds might not be so unwanted after all.

 

McMann, author of The Wake trilogy and Cryer's Cross, grew up in Michigan and now lives with her family in Arizona. This event will take place at the West Allis Public Library, 7421 W. National Ave. This event is at 4 pm and West Allis's phone number is (414) 302-8503.

Patrick Carman at the Greenfield Public Library, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 4 pm.

 Floors

Patrick Carman has not one, but two wonderful books to share when he visits in September. Floors is the first installment of a wonderful middle-grade series, set at the magical Whippet Hotel in New York. Merganzer Whippet, the hotel's architect and owner, has gone Patrick Carmanmissing and someone is out to sabotage the hotel. It's up to Leo Fillmore, the janitor's son, to follow the clues, solve the puzzles, and save the day. 

 

Then in 3:15 Season One: Things that go Bump in the Night, Carman collects the stand-alone spooky stories that he originally released on apps for Androids and iPhones. Step into the315 Season One world of 3:15 and you'll meet Cody Miller, a down-on-his-luck teenager whose greed exceeds his respect for the dead; Jamie Hanover, whose after-school job might cost far more than it pays; Dylan Smith, who should know better than to show off his snowboarding skills on a haunted mountain; and more.

 

Patrick Carman is the author of the bestselling Land of Elyon and Atherton series and owns PC Studios in Walla Walla, Washington.  Our library event begins at 4 pm, and happens at the Greenfield Public Library, 5310 West Layton Ave., just off the 60th street exit of 894, which is open.  More library info at (414) 321-9595.

Lauren Oliver at the North Shore Library, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 6:30 pm.

 

Lauren OliverLauren Oliver captivated readers with her first novel, the groundbreaking Before I Fall, and followed that up with Delirium, the first in a dystopian trilogy, set in a world where love is declared a disease. Now we present her middle grade debut, Liesl & Po, a novel that has already won praise from Newbery Medalist Rebecca Stead, who calls this "a gorgeous story--timeless and magical."

 

Liesl and PoLocked in a tiny attic bedroom by her cruel stepmother, Liesl's only friends are the shadows and the mice. Lonely and grieving for her recently deceased father, Liesl is surprised one evening by Po and Bundle, a ghost and his pet who suddenly materialize in her room. The trio becomes fast friends, and it is because of Po that Liesl is able to escape from her attic room and embark on an extraordinary journey filled with fateful coincidences, narrow escapes, and a box containing the most powerful magic in the world. 
 

Oliver's event (which highlights all three novels) will be at the North Shore Library, 6800 North Port Washington Rd. between Bender and Green Tree Rd. This event begins at 6:30 pm. The library's phone number is (414) 351-3461. 

James Howe at the Cudahy Family Library, Thursday, Oct. 13, 4 pm. 

 

James HoweThe Gang of Five is back in Addie on the Inside, this second companion to the inspirational novel, The Misfits, which gave rise to the national movement known as No Name-Calling Week, observed by thousands of schools annually.

 

Addie Carle, the only girl in the Gang of Five, is outspoken, opinionated, and sometimes...just a bit obnoxious. But as seventh grade progresses, Addie's notAddie on the Inside so sure anymore about who she is. It seems her tough exterior is just a little too tough, and that doesn't help her deal with the turmoil she feels on the inside as she faces the pains of growing up. And the best part is the story is told completely in verse!

 

James Howe is the author of more than eighty acclaimed and beloved books for teenagers and children. His books include The Misfits, Totally Joe, The Watcher, and the bestselling Bunnicula and its many sequels. This 4 pm event takes place at Cudahy Family Library, 3500 Library Dr., south of Layton Ave. and just off Packard. Contact the library at (414) 769-2244.

Catherine Gilbert Murdock at Shorewood Library, Mon., Oct. 17, 6:30 pm.

 

Catherine Gilbert MurdockYou may know Catherine Gilbert Murdock from her novels about D.J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin. But Murdock also wrote a delightful fantasy novel, Princess Ben, and she returns to the genre in her new novel, Wisdom's Kiss. Told from eight (yes, eight!) points of view, not limited to Princess Wisdom, Tips the soldier, the orphaned maid Fortitude, and Wisdoms Kissthe dowager Duchess of Farina, Wisdom's Kiss is a clever and timeless fairy tale complete with a mysterious intelligent cat, unrequited love, a cunning villainess, and a princess who longs for adventure.

 

Catherine Gilbert Murdock, author of Dairy Queen, The Off Season, and Front and Center, lives in the Philadelphia area with her family, along with the cat who inspired the character Escoffier.  This 6:30 pm event is at the Shorewood Public Library, 3920 N. Murray Ave. Their phone is (414) 847-2670.

James Dashner at the Greenfield Public Library, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 6:30 pm.

 

James DashnerJames Dashner has been winning fans with his Maze Runner trilogy, continued in The Scorch Trials (now out in paperback) and concluding in The Death Cure. The story of Thomas's adventures in the Glade will appeal to fans of Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games novels. But why listen to me? Here's Jason, our trade book buyer's take:

 

Death Cure"I was hesitant to start The Death Cure, what more could WICKED put Thomas through? What horrible, what torturous, what painful journey would Thomas have to complete?  Would it be enough?  In the clutches of WICKED and infected with the Flare, the outlook does not look promising. James Dashner does not disappoint in this bleak and exhilarating finale--I can't wait to see what he comes up with next."

 

Dashner, also author of the 13th Reality series, was born and raised in Georgia, but now lives in the Rocky Mountains with his family.  The Greenfield Public Library is on 5310 West Layton Ave. and their phone number is (414) 321-9595. Our event starts at 6:30 pm.

And It's Not Too Early to Mark Your Calendars for Next April When the Author is Kate DiCamillo.

 

Kate DiCamilloYes, Kate DiCamillo is coming to Milwaukee Public Library's Centennial Hall, our first event booked for a spectacularrific spring!. The beloved author of The Magician's Elephant, Bink and Gollie, Because of Winn-Dixie, and The Tale of Despereaux will be appearing on Tuesday, April 17, at 7 pm.

 Magicians Elephant 911

When a fortune teller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortune teller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it's true. We're hoping we can get as many kids as possible to read The Magican's Elephant before our event next April. The hall holds 700 kids and parents and we want to make sure everyone knows about this special event.

 

Centennial Hall is located at 733 N. Eighth St. downtown. Their phone is (414) 286-3000.  And don't worry, you'll see plenty more in the future about the exciting event.

And one last note. We're saying goodbye to our summer helper Alex (yes, I know we don't do summer help normally, but since I've known her since she was born and wanted to be thanked when she wins some big research prize, I made an exception), and that means we're looking for a combination kids/adult/everything else bookseller.

boswell logoHere are some requirements. You need to be able to work Sundays, at least one day shift, and at least one evening shift. We're looking for an 18-20 hour part-time person but might have more hours for an amazing find. The position involves handselling kids books, but you need to be flexible, able to work our register, inventory system, and basic Windows Office programs, shelve, pull returns and all sorts of the other stuff that booksellers do. Other skillsets valued include display, sign making, and any sort of technical or handy skills. If you didn't know, Jocelyn painted our yellow bookcases. She is much missed.

Alas, we are not able to take resumes by email, but you can drop off a resume (cover letter is optional, but welcome) at our front desk.

As always, thank you all for your patronage and hope to see you at one or more of our library events this fall.

Daniel Goldin, with Amie, Anne, Beverly, Carl, Conrad, Greg, Jason, Mark, Pam, Shane, Sharon, and Stacie.