Read a Rama with Llama Llama Red Pajama

Chapters Books & Gifts will take part in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record® on October 6, 2011—the official date of the nation-wide campaign to set a new world record for the largest shared reading experience on a single day.

Chapters will take part by hosting a “Read-a-Rama with Llama Llama” event on October 6, 2011, from 9 a.m.- 7 p.m.  Adults are invited to bring a child(ren) to Chapters and read this year’s featured title, Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney, together.  The first 25 families to participate will receive a FREE copy of Llama Llama Red Pajama courtesy of Chapters, St. John Child Development Center, and the Seward Community Read to Me Program.  All participants will receive a certificate of participation, fun activities to accompany the reading, and a photo of themselves.

In partnership with Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation, Chapters supports early education and literacy development and encourages the entire community to participate in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record on October 6, 2011.  Again this year, the day-long campaign will be kicked off on NBC’s TODAY show and will be followed by large and small reading events organized by individuals, schools, libraries, government organizations and local businesses nationwide.

Anyone, anywhere can participate in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record by pledging to read at www.readfortherecord.org. Llama Llama Red Pajama can be read online at www.wegivebooks.org. Learn more at www.readfortherecord.org.

New merchandise has arrived!

We've been getting ready for the holiday season by adding lots of toys, games, and gift items to our inventory.  Here are a few highlights of new items:

I love these toys for preschoolers from the Green Toy Company.  They're all made entirely from recycled milk jugs!  Even better, they're dishwasher safe, so you can have a tea party and not have to do dishes by hand.  The Pizza Parlor set even comes with a take out box and order pad for fun pretend play.

Another fun new addition for an entirely different audience is handmade jewelry from Vibelo Designs of Omaha.  The collection includes necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, and key chains made from a variety of seeds and nuts, even orange peels and gourd skins.  Cheryl's favorite is the lima bean necklace.  I like the red necklace made from corn.  Perfect for Husker game day!

Some of my other favorite items continue to be the glassware from Henrietta Glass.  In addition to the pieces we've had for about a year, we recently added "Circle of Friends" vases and ring holders.  I've given the wine stopper as a gift, Cheryl's given the little vases, and I bought myself a ring holder because I like them so much.

 We're still receiving toys, puzzles, games, and other fun items every few days, so check with us soon and often.  It's not too early to start your Christmas shopping!

Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival

The annual Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival is coming to Concordia September 23-25.  Authors who will be visiting with Seward kids in the schools on September 23 include Eileen Christelow and Grace Lin at the elementary school and Barbara Robinson and Roland Smith at the middle school.  Chapters has books by all of the authors participating in the festival.  If you purchase them by September 22, we'll take them to Concordia for you to be personally autographed while the authors are in town.  Autographed books make great Christmas gifts!

Visit the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival website for more information about the festival and authors who are attending.

Upcoming Events at Chapters

I just updated our calendar, with all the upcoming events for this fall.  It's going to be a busy season at Chapters!  Make sure to check back often so you don't miss these and other events this fall.

In September, the annual Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival brings several well-known authors to Seward's Concordia University.  If you purchase these authors' books at Chapters, we'll have them autographed for you when the authors are in town.  This year's featured guests include Newbery Medal winner Grace Lin, Golden Sower winner Roland Smith, and favorite author/illustrator of the "Five Little Monkeys" books, Eileen Christelow, as well as Barbara Robinson, best known for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  The Endowment dinner features illustrator Jerry Pinkney, a recent Caldecott Medal winner.  Visit the Festival's website for more details and to see a complete list of authors and illustrators attending.

October will be a busy month for us, with two author visits (so far!) and two bookfairs, as well as the annual "Read for the Record Day."

One of last year's happy readers.

This year's "Read for the Record" is October 6.  Help us join families around the country to set a world record for the largest single-day read aloud of the same book by reading Llama Llama Red Pajama at Chapters with your favorite kids.  The first 25 families to participate will receive a free copy of the book, too!  For more details on this campaign and other efforts by Jumpstart to bring books to all children, visit Jumpstart's website.

Our authors who are visiting Chapters in October include a dynamic, fun picture book author-illustrator whose books will appeal to preschoolers with an attitude.  Robert Shea kicks off our week of bookfairs with a storytime and signing Thursday, October 13.  This is sure to be a "roaring" good time with Dinosaur and his creator!

Sara Zarr, author of young adult novels dealing with the difficult issues faced by teens, will be in Seward visiting Seward High School and Chapters on Monday, October 24.  She also is a great speaker, though for a different audience, and you won't want to miss her reading or her books.  I'll let you know what I think of her latest, How to Save a Life, which comes out in October and is set in part in Omaha, after I read the review copy she's sending me.