Industry News

The Polar Express, Chris Van Allsburg's Caldecott Medal-winning children's book, will hit the big screen this November 10 in an animated adaptation from Warner Bros., starring Tom Hanks.

Judy Blume Honored by National Book Foundation

At the nation's only four-state juncture, in the grand expanse of the West, a 1,850-square-foot bookstore occupies a much larger space in the hearts of residents of, and visitors to, Durango, Colorado. Maria's Bookshop, celebrating its 20th anniversary this month, has purveyed general books and Southwestern art, and has created a sense of community and an atmosphere where quality and service are paramount.

On Friday, September 12, the company that owns WordsWorth Books and Curious George Goes To WordsWorth, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The store's owner, Hillel Stavis, told BTW, "We're not closing. We're looking for a buyer [or investor]. We would like to keep it open…. We think an infusion of capital will do wonders for the store and restore it to its legendary status."

Booksellers participating in the Campaign for Reader Privacy petition drive should note that the deadline to submit signed petitions is only five days away. In order for all collected signatures to be counted, booksellers must send all petitions by September 20 to ABA, Restore Reader Privacy, Attn.: Oren Teicher, 828 S. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591. Until that time, ABA is urging booksellers to keep collecting signatures.

The Great Lakes Booksellers Association (GLBA) Annual Fall Trade Show will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Michigan, from Friday, October 8, through Sunday, October 10.

The New England Booksellers Association (NEBA) is expecting robust attendance at its 31st Annual Meeting & Trade Show, which will be held at the World Trade Center in Boston from Friday, October 8, through Sunday, October 10. The trade show floor will be open from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Below is an outline of recent changes to the data in the ABA Book Buyer's Handbook online at handbook.bookweb.org.

Bookstore sales remained soft with July revenue off for the fourth month in a row. July 2004 bookstore sales of $1,153 million were 1.9 percent lower than the $1,175 million seen in July 2003.

Bookstore sales continued to disappoint, especially when contrasted with the strong performance of overall retail for the same period.

Overall retail of $347 billion for July 2004 was 7.4 percent better than the $323 billion in July

This week, the American Booksellers Association published the results of the 2004 ABACUS study on BookWeb.org. Accessible to ABA bookstore members only, this year's study, which achieved a participation rate of 11 percent with 181 bookstores submitting financial data, focused on providing participating businesses, and the independent bookselling community at large, with year-to-year trends, based on the results of bookstores participating in both the 2003 and 2004 studies.

Hurricane Frances slammed into the east coast of Florida early on the Sunday before Labor Day with 105 mph winds, causing massive flooding and property damage in the billions of dollars, and leaving millions of residents without power. According to wire service reports, Frances was notable for its broad reach and the leisurely pace it took, lingering offshore for hours, then battering the coast for much of Sunday morning before heading northwest. The eye of the hurricane, where the worst weather occurred, extended across 80 miles, from Vero Beach to Boynton, Florida.