Around Indies

"Bucket Brigade" Gets Clinton Book Shop to New Location

Clinton Book Shop invited its customers to come out last Sunday morning to move the store across town to its new home, and dozens volunteered to help. "It took us exactly one hour to get from one shop to the next," said store manager Rob Dougherty.

Although many of the books were carted down the street in boxes, some of them were passed from one volunteer to the next, "bucket brigade" style, and the customers were happy to pose for pictures. The local newspaper created a photo slide show of the process on its website, and Dougherty posted a video on the store's Facebook page.

The Clinton Book Shop reopened on Tuesday in its new location, a historical building that once served as the town's library. A grand opening is planned for Friday, May 14.

Bay Area Stores Join in Kids Otter Read Day

For the second year in a row, the Northern California Children's Booksellers Association and nearly a dozen Bay Area bookstores brought children and authors together for a day. More than 50 authors participated in Kids Otter Read Day on May 1.

"We started our around-the-world adventure with Ann Martin Bowler," wrote Diane Savage of The Reading Bug on the store's blog. "We also had Jennifer L. Holm, author of the very popular Babymouse series, making individual cartoons for all of our guests!"

Laurel Book Store, Hicklebee's, Cover to Cover, The Storyteller, Towne Center Books, Copperfield's, Linden Tree, and Books Inc. also hosted authors.

Tampa Mayor Works With Inkwood to Share Love of Books

Inkwood Books owner Carla Jimenez appears on local television each month with Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. Mayor's Book Talk airs four times weekly on Tampa's public access station.

Jimenez and Iorio have been working together on the show since November 2007. "A surprising number of people mention that they watch it," said Jimenez. "There's nothing else like it in the country hosted by a city's mayor."

The show has segments targeted to both adults and children, and includes author interviews, book discussions, and recommendations from Jimenez.