WNBA Announces Children's Bookseller Award Nominees

The Women's National Book Association (WNBA) has announced the nominees for this year's Lucile Micheels Pannell Award. This year, six stores were nominated in the children's bookstore category, and 11 stores were nominated in the general bookstore category.

The nominees in the children's specialty store category are:

• Forever Books, St. Joseph, Michigan
  
• Halfway Down the Stairs Children's Bookshop, Rochester, Michigan
  
• Magic Tree Bookstore, Oak Park, Illinois
  
• Narnia Children's Books, Richmond, Virginia
  
• The Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, Minnesota
  
• Wild Rumpus, Minneapolis, Minnesota
  

The nominees in the general store category are:

• The Booksmith, San Francisco
  
• Borders Books, Buford, Georgia
  
• Bound to Be Read, St. Paul, Minnesota
  
• Diane's Books of Greenwich, Greenwich, Connecticut
  
• Dutton's Brentwood Bookstore, Los Angeles
  
• Gallery Books & Bookwinkle's Children's Books, Mendocino, California
  
• Givens Books, Lynchburg, Virginia
  
• Hawley-Cooke Booksellers, Louisville, Kentucky
  
• Lowry's Books and More, Three Rivers, Michigan
  
• M Is for Mystery Bookstore, San Mateo, California
  
• Viewpoint Books, Columbus, Indiana
  

The Pannell Award was established 20 years ago to honor Lucile Micheels Pannell, "a model bookwoman and children's bookseller." The award recognizes retail booksellers who excel at creatively bringing books and children together and inspiring children's interest in books and reading.

WNBA will present the award to a general bookstore and a children's bookstore at BookExpo America 2003 in Los Angeles. Each recipient will receive a check for $1,000 and a framed piece of original art by a children's book illustrator.

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Pannell Award, and I couldn't be more impressed with the nominations we've received," said Eileen Hanning, WNBA's Pannell committee chair. "We should be very thankful for these quality children's booksellers. These bookstores are clearly committed to serving their young readers."

WNBA, founded in 1917, is a national organization of women and men who work with and value books. An all-volunteer organization, it exists to promote reading and to support the role of women in the community of the book. For more information about WNBA, click here.