"The illiterate of the 21st century
will not be those
who cannot read and write,
but those who cannot learn,
unlearn, and relearn."
~ Alvin Toffler
The first day of school is coming in just a couple of weeks.  There are lots of new rules to remember.  Try not to cry.  Don't push.  Take your turn in line.  Have a good breakfast before you leave the house.  ...and then we can move on to rules for the children.  The first day of school isn't just about angsty kids.  Parents go through a full range of emotions: anxiety for their child's safety when they are away from them, sorrow and nostalgia over last year's outgrown clothes, excitement for what their child will learn this year, and even a bit of freedom while their child is not in their care...followed immediately by guilt for feeling that way.  Regardless of whether they (or you) are excited or nervous, there are a plethora of wonderful books for children about their first day back to school.  Here are some of the newest selections: (and we have lots of other ideas at the store as well)
Love a book list?
Try one of ours below!

Staff
Picks: 
  (click any to view)
Bear is ready to go to school all by himself and leave Floppy at home...but nothing feels quite right without him.  Maybe he's not ready for school;  Or maybe Floppy is.  And yes, Penguin, from Yoon's other picture books, makes an appearance in this book as well.  I like the gentle illustrations for little ones.  Best for PreK through 1st grade.
Sophie's Squash Go To School by Pat Zietlow Miller and Anne Witsdorf

The kids at school ask, "Are those toys?  Do they bounce?  Can we EAT them?"  and Sophie replies, "No!  No, no, no!  I grew them in my garden.  They are my FRIENDS."  Will she ever find a friend at school who can appreciate her squash?  The best line is the last: "Sometimes growing a friend just takes time."  Great for K-2, but sweet to read aloud as young as 3.  
(choose from the list to view)  Everything You Need to Know to Ace:
-Science
-Math
-English Language Arts
-World History
-American History
Notes borrowed from the Smartest Kid in Class (Double-checked by an Award-Winning Teacher)

These are suggested for Middle Schoolers, but you could give them to curious minds 10 and up...or use them to refresh your own knowledge and impress your grandkids when you drop some knowledge on them about their favorite subjects!  Click here to view the whole list. 
Tomorrow Night! 

Tuesday, August 9, 6pm

We have a brand new event scheduled with Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin tomorrow night at 6pm, and you are not going to want to miss it!
 
Clint Hill retired from the secret service in 1975 with enough tales to tell to...well, fill a book!  He is the NYT bestselling author of Mrs. Kennedy and Me and Five Days in November.  Hill was in the presidential motorcade during the John F. Kennedy assassination, and remained assigned to Mrs. Kennedy until after the 1964 election. He then was assigned to President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House and later to Richard Nixon, eventually becoming the Assistant Director of the Secret Service for all protection.
Lisa McCubbin is an award-winning journalist who has been a television news anchor and reporter, hosted her own radio show, and spent more than five years in the Middle East as a freelance writer.
Space is limited, so reservations will be required for this free in-store event. 
Click here for more book info. 
Our Last Luncheon of the Summer:

Thursday, August 11, 12pm with Jessie Burton author of The Muse

We are so excited to have Jessie Burton joining us next week to discuss her latest historical novel, The Muse.   She is only making 7 stops on the US leg of her tour, of which we are the last.  We plan to give her a lovely send off with lunch and book discussion at our downtown Stafford's Perry Hotel before she heads back to the UK.

The book begins, "Not all of us receive the ends that we deserve.  Many moments that change a life's course - a conversation with a stranger on a ship, for example - are pure luck.  And yet no one writes you a letter, or chooses you as their confessor, without good reason.  This is what she taught me: You have to be ready in order to be lucky.  You have to put your pieces into play."

You're going to love diving in to this historical novel and then getting the chance to meet this fabulous author.  Click here for event and book info.     
Calling all Lego and Star Wars Fans!

Wednesday, August 10, 2-4pm

Don't forget about our in-store signing with Adam Bray for all of your Star Wars needs.  Get them now and save them for the holidays!  (Christmas is only 144 days away.) 
And if you can't make it, ship them to you for 99¢ we will!

Click here for event details.
Vocabulary Fun:

(If you're reading this on your phone, you'll want to view it on your computer later...trust me.)
Find the perfect word for your feelings with this vocabulary wheel.  Start in the middle and end up with just the right word.  Turn on your printer and make a few extra copies.  Take it with you to parties!  Leave it in your guest room and bathroom for visitors to enjoy!  Bring it with you to your next therapy session!  So many uses!  Have fun word lovers.
Karen McCue's Fiction Favorites for June:



Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

New in June, I couldn't put this book down. And then, compulsively, paged backwards to find any hints on who-did- it. Yep, it was that good. The author is well known for crafting great story lines as a screenwriter and producer for TV and film (Bones, Fargo, etc). But he's also written three other books including 2012's The Good Father.
The book opens with two families preparing for a short flight on a private jet from their summer homes on Martha's Vineyard to New York. The passengers also include a late arrival, Scott Burroughs - a 40- something struggling artist on the cusp of success; the flight crew and a bodyguard. Sixteen minutes into the foggy evening flight, the plane goes down in the Atlantic. Scott rescues the only remaining survivor, four-year- old JJ Bateman, by swimming to the mainland and a hero is born.
The rest of the novel delves into each of the characters' back-stories while recovery of the wreckage and the FAA investigation progress. Because no communications were made to indicate pilot or mechanical distress, the plunge into the ocean is deemed suspicious. Suspects and theories abound, fueled by a popular reporter on an All-News TV station owned by David Bateman, who went down in the plane, and whose son, JJ, is a survivor.
As Scott copes with physical and emotional trauma, his bond with JJ grows in the hospital. His concerns grow as JJ is shuffled to his closest living relative - an aunt and her husband, who will enormously profit from her nephew's trust fund. As JJ quits speaking, Scott goes into hiding with the press hounding the newly deemed hero - both survivors metaphorically going radio-silent.
The format and taut writing drive the pace of the story to it's conclusion, but the emotion is so well-written into the characters that it made me hope that it wouldn't end. A terrific summer read!

Everybody's Fool by Richard Russo

Did you read Nobody's Fool? Empire Falls? Yes, that Richard Russo. The brilliance of his novels is the big life he breathes into the quirky characters of down-on-their-luck small towns in New York state and Maine.
Everybody's Fool picks up a decade after Nobody's Fool. The original book (and movie) centered on Sully Sullivan, and his many friends and enemies. Everybody's Fool expands the character of Doug Raymer, now the town's sheriff, who is still having a hard time dealing with the death of his wife. Doug has found a garage remote control that he is convinced belongs to his departed wife's lover. As he obsessively "clicks" his way through town determined to identify the culprit, the stories of Sully, his dog Rub, his best-friend Rub, his married girlfriend's daughter's convict ex-husband (uh huh), his arch enemy, the town mayor, etc., continue to play out.
It's mostly hilarity, but poignant as well. Mr. Russo was recently quoted in various interviews as saying he needed to stop thinking of his characters as the actors who portrayed them. I would love to see the sequel of this wonderful book on screen, but it wouldn't be the same. Oh how I miss Paul Newman, Jessica Tandy and Philip Seymour Hoffman. 
Found on the Shelf: 

Think Happy: Instant Peptalks to Boost Positivity by Karen Salmansohn

I love this idea.  We are always looking for ways to boost our creativity and productivity, but perhaps it all boils down to positivity after all.  This is more than just a book of affirmations.  Great to pick up whether your on top of the world or feeling downright lowdown.