Nominees for 2017 WNBA Pannell Awards Announced

Eighteen general bookstores and 19 children’s specialty bookstores have been nominated for the Women’s National Book Association’s 2017 WNBA Pannell Awards, which honor bookstores that enhance their communities by using exceptional creativity to foster a love of reading among their young patrons. Each year since 1983, the WNBA, which celebrates its centennial anniversary this year, has bestowed the award for children’s bookselling upon one general bookstore and one children’s specialty bookstore.

This year’s nominees, in alphabetical order, are:

General Bookstore

• Bluebird Books (Hutchinson, KS)
• Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX)
• Books Inc. (Santa Clara, CA)
• Byrd’s Books (Bethel, CT)
• Eagle Harbor Book Company (Bainbridge Island, WA)
• Gene’s Books (Sanibel, FL)
• Harleysville Books (Harleysville, PA)
• Joseph-Beth Booksellers (Lexington, KY)
• Laurel Bookstore (Oakland, CA)
• Longfellow Books (Portland, ME)
• Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café (Asheville, NC)
• Napa Bookmine (Napa, CA)
• Odyssey Bookshop (South Hadley, MA)
• Sandmeyer’s Bookstore (Chicago, IL)
• The Bookworm of Edwards (Edwards, CO)
• The Conundrum (St. Francisville, LA)
• Volumes Bookcafe (Chicago, IL)
• Vroman’s Bookstore (Pasadena, CA)

Children’s Specialty Bookstore

• Bank Street Book Store (New York, NY)
• Blue Bunny Books and Toys (Dedham, MA)
• Blue Manatee Children’s Bookstore (Cincinnati, OH)
• Books of Wonder (New York, NY)
• Children’s Book World (Haverford, PA)
• Children’s Book World (Los Angeles, CA)
• Cover to Cover (Columbus, OH)
• Green Bean Books (Portland, OR)
• Magic Tree Bookstore (Oak Park, IL)
• Monkey See, Monkey Do…Children’s Bookstore (Clarence, NY)
• Once Upon A Storybook (Tustin, CA)
• Red Balloon Bookshop (St. Paul, MN)
• Second Star To The Right (Denver, CO)
• Spellbound Children’s Bookshop (Asheville, NC)
• Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab (Brooklyn, NY)
• The Children’s Bookstore (Baltimore, MD)
• The Curious Reader (Glen Rock, NJ)
• The French Library (New Orleans, LA)
• The Reading Bug (San Carlos, CA)

By Monday, April 24, nominated stores must submit a description of their major achievements, programming, and contributions to the local community for consideration by the Pannell Awards jurors. Submissions can include photos, media coverage, letters from customers, and other materials.

The Pannell Award jurors for 2017 are: 

• Susan Katz Radin, publisher emeritus, HarperCollins Children’s Books
• Josalyn Moran, children’s publishing consultant
• Emily Romero, senior vice president of marketing, Penguin Young Readers
• Roger Sutton, editor in chief, The Horn Book
• Lisa Von Drasek, curator of Children’s Literature Research Collections, University of Minnesota 

The jurors will make their decision in early May, and one winner in each category will be notified. The two winning stores will each receive a $1,000 check and a framed, signed original piece of art by a children’s illustrator.

The awards will be presented on Friday, June 2, at the Children’s Book & Author Breakfast at BookExpo at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. The Pannell Award winners will also be honored during WNBA’s centennial festivities in October.

The WNBA Pannell Award is co-sponsored by Penguin Young Readers Group.