Independent Bookstore Day Wrap Up

Saturday, May 2 was America's first-ever Independent Bookstore Day. Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate at Chapters, whether you're one of the featured authors or one of those who came to meet them. For those of you unfortunate enough to be attending track meets, taking the SAT, hosting a bridal shower, or getting ready for prom, here's a taste of what you missed. Lucky for you, most of the authors left a few signed copies of their books. They won't be personalized, but they'll still make great gifts.

We started the day with presentations from Jeff McArthur, Shawn Farritor, and Sydney Olson, who provided fascinating background on their topics. Who knew Al Capone's brother was a lawman in Nebraska, or that the very last battle between the Sioux and Pawnee took place in Nebraska, or that Sydney was a pageant queen? If you're curious and want to know more, pick up one of the books by these authors!

Our second hour of authors featured Toni Morehouse, Les Williams, and Brian Hale. Toni used the picture book she wrote to illustrate interactive read-aloud strategies. I couldn't agree with her more on the importance of reading aloud with kids of all ages. Les shared the background for his collected short crime stories, and Brian reminded us all that whether we're lucky or unlucky depends a lot on how we look at circumstances. Luck is a difficult concept to pin down, and his book attempts to do so.

Saturday afternoon, we were excited to host our own Ted Kooser, who signed copies of his two newest books. Unfortunately, I forgot to mention that day that a new collection of poetry for children features one of Ted's poems. If you haven't seen Death of the Hat yet, stop in and check it out. It's currently on our "Books We Love" shelf, and you'll easily see why.  

Lucy Adkins and Anita Stohs both work with writers' groups as well as writing their own books, and they shared some information about their projects. Read Lucy's blog if you need inspiration and Anita's sweet board book if you need the perfect gift for a special baby. Lydia Kang and Tonya Kuper, authors of young adult fantasies, rounded out our hour. Their books appeal to teens and those of us adults who do most of our reading in the YA section. This photo of Tonya, Ted, and Lydia is my favorite image of the day.

Finally, we closed out the afternoon with an appearance by Stephanie Grace Whitson and Karen Shoemaker. They were the perfect pairing, as both write meticulously-researched historical novels. Stephanie's new novel is set in Missouri during the Civil War, Karen's in Nebraska just after World War I. The heroines of both books endure great challenges and provide fascinating reading that brings history to life.

You may have noticed that two of the authors who were scheduled to sign didn't make it. We'd like to offer our condolences to Mike Curd, who had to change his plans due to a death in the family. Greg Kuzma also was unable to make it Saturday. We missed you both!

Again, we appreciate all of our authors taking the time to come to Chapters. It was an honor to host you, and we hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did. For us, Independent Bookstore Day was a day to celebrate authors, our place in the Seward community, and our valued customers. Thank you all for allowing us the opportunity to do so.