The Bookstore Blog
Kids ♥ Authors Day - Feelin' the Love!
By Susan, Feb 18, 07:42 AM
Last Saturday was Valentine’s day – but more importantly for us it was Kids Heart Author’s Day. Begun with a single sentence statement – the kernel of a grand idea – on the internet from a local author who writes for Young Adults, the day quickly blossomed into a 170+ author, 43 bookstore love affair. Authors and illustrators gathered across New England in an unparalleled show of support for independent bookstores.
We had a smashingly successful event at the Andover Bookstore! Our Seven participating authors and illustrators got along like gang-busters. Business cards, e-mail addresses and phone numbers were exchanged and plans were made to reconvene at some point in the future in Andover, perhaps to offer readings and insight to our Teen Writing Workshop (still in the planning stages)
We had a full-house of families with kids of all ages for the entire 2 hours, and then some! Everyone listened closely as each author read from their work or shared their sketches and sweetly professed their love of independent bookstores (Thank you!) There was plenty of time for conversation and question & answer with the authors on an intimate level, both before and after the readings. One of my favorite moments came after the readings when a little girl brought her personal journal to the table to share and had a great conversation with author Chris Demarest about what it’s like to be a writer. Perhaps we’ll see her first novel on the shelves here in Andover one day! Many guests left with signed books in hand, having discovered a new author and treated themselves and their kids to a uniquely literary Valentine. This was a particularly satisfying and energizing way to kick off our 200th year in Andover, celebrating our run as the second oldest continuously operating independent bookstore in the country. It’s events like this that separate indies form the rest of the book-selling pack. Here’s hoping it becomes an annual event!
