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Tattered Corners Wins Children’s Book Week Display Contest

Tattered Corners New & Used Bookstore in Meadville, Pennsylvania, has won the second annual Children’s Book Week display contest, co-sponsored by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader in partnership with the ABC Children’s Group at ABA. As the winner, Tattered Corners will receive a visit from a 2014 Children’s Choice Book Award-winning author or illustrator.

The gallery of submissions celebrating the 95th annual Children’s Book Week can be seen here. Entries were judged based on adherence to the theme of Children’s Book Week, uniqueness, use of space, and more.

Tattered Corners was honored for its creative take on the official Children’s Book Week poster by Fancy Nancy illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser, including a scene of a child reading on a chair comprised of actual children’s books.

Children’s Book Week is administered by Every Child a Reader and the Children’s Book Council is an anchor sponsor.  

Changing Hands Opens Today in Phoenix

Changing Hands co-owner Gayle Shanks, who has been chronicling the work underway on the business’ new location in Phoenix, posted her last countdown yesterday. The store, in a former Beef Eaters Restaurant, is set for a soft opening at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 30, AZ Central reported.

The Phoenix location, which is 19 miles from the Tempe store, features an inventory of primarily new books, a unique selection of gifts, and a bar offering wine, beer, and coffee.

The project, which Shanks told AZ Central cost close to $1 million, was financed in part by crowd-funding through Indiegogo.com. The campaign’s goal was to raise $80,000, but the project netted more than $91,000.

Phoenix Books Earmarks Patterson Grant for Free Books

Phoenix Books in Essex and Burlington, Vermont, is using a $5,000 grant from author James Patterson’s $1 million giveaway to independent bookstores to ensure that every one of the hundreds of children who participate in the local library’s summer reading program takes a free book home.

Phoenix Books for Kids is partnering with the Fletcher Free Library to distribute free books to the approximately 1,400 children expected to take part in the program this summer. The store also hopes to establish permanent libraries of approximately 40 titles at each of the summer reading program’s satellite locations.

The Fletcher Free Library’s Summer Reading Program is a free eight-week program designed to motivate elementary and middle school students to read and maintain reading skills during the summer. All children entering grades K-8 in the coming school year are eligible to participate. One-third to half of the children who sign up live in low-income families.