Nominees for 2018 WNBA Pannell Awards Announced

Thirteen general bookstores and 14 children’s specialty bookstores have been nominated for the Women’s National Book Association’s 2018 WNBA Pannell Awards, Publishers Weekly reported Wednesday. The awards 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 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

• BookBar in Denver, Colorado
• Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, New Hampshire
• Horizon Books in Traverse City, Michigan
• Left Bank Books in St. Louis, Missouri
• Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café in Asheville, North Carolina
• Napa Bookmine in Napa, California
• Newtonville Books in Newton, Massachusetts
• Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, New York
• Oblong Books & Music in Rhinebeck, New York
• Pages: a book store in Manhattan Beach, California
• The Conundrum in St. Francisville, Louisiana
• Village Books in Bellingham, Washington
• Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, California

Children’s Specialty Bookstore

• Bank Street Bookstore in New York, New York
• BBGB in Richmond, Virginia
• Blue Bunny Books and Toys in Dedham, Massachusetts
• Books of Wonder in New York, New York
• Hooray for Books in Alexandria, Virginia
• Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia
• Monkey & Dog in Fort Worth, Texas
• Monkey See, Monkey Do in Clarence, New York
• Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, Minnesota
• Second Star to the Right in Denver, Colorado
• Square Books Jr. in Oxford, Mississippi
• Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab in Brooklyn, New York
• Storybook Village of Pentwater in Pentwater, Michigan
• The French Library in New Orleans, Louisiana

Nominated stores must submit a description of their programming, events, activities, goals, 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 2018 are: 

• Brenda Bowen, literary agent at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates
• Susan Katz Radin, publisher emeritus at HarperCollins Children’s Books
• Emily Romero, senior vice president of marketing at Penguin Young Readers
• Roger Sutton, editor-in-chief at The Horn Book
• Lisa Von Drasek, curator of Children’s Literature Research Collections at the University of Minnesota

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 1, at the Children’s Book & Author Breakfast at BookExpo at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.

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