Pannell Award Honors Reading Reptile and BookPeople

This year's winners of the Lucile Micheels Pannell Award for Excellence in Children's Bookselling, announced by the Women's National Book Association (WNBA) on May 11, are Reading Reptile Books and Toys for Young Mammals in Kansas City, Missouri, in the children's specialty category, and BookPeople in Austin, Texas, in the general bookstore category. Both have distinguished themselves to this year's Pannell Award jury for their creative, passionate, and innovative approaches to children's bookselling.

Established in 1981 and named for Ms. Pannell, an exemplary children's bookseller, the Pannell award was first given in 1983. The Award "recognizes retail bookstores who stimulate, promote, and encourage children's and young people's interest in books," according to Eileen Hanning, WNBA Pannell Chair.

"The winners this year presented an impressive combination of unbridled delight in working with children and books and real business savvy. Reading Reptile and BookPeople demonstrated an extraordinary ability to make books and reading dynamic, interactive, and exciting for kids," she said.

Unbridled, edgy, and hilarious all apply to everything that Reading Reptile does. Co-owners Debbie Pettid and Pete Cowdin mount lavish productions about four times per year, sometimes incorporating a visiting author or illustrator, puppets, music, friends, and children. Cowdin writes all the material, which Pettid labels "always tasteless." The two also collaborate on the homeschooling of their five children.

Pettid told BTW that their DNA Children's Literature Festival, now in its ninth year, is unique among bookstores. Funded entirely by the bookstore, the DNA Festival runs for two days and involves six to eight major authors or illustrators. The first day, the guests make presentations to an audience of 1,200 to 1,500 children. On the second day, the audience is made up of teachers, librarians, writers, and artists. Pettid acknowledged that the events are wonderful but not lucrative. "I think we broke even once," she commented.

With typical irrepressible levity, invitations to the authors and illustrators include kits to collect their genetic material because, "it is our intention to become the preeminent DNA bank for the children's book industry." Archival material on the Reading Reptile website, www.readingreptile.com, includes book reviews and discussions of topics as far ranging as the Burning Man Festival, Roman Polanski, Judge Judy, and Good Night Moon.

Pettid told BTW that, "It's really nice to receive an award from the [book] industry, particularly because we are so far removed from the industry. It's nice for people to take notice of what you're doing -- we're looking forward to our 30 seconds in the spotlight."

Jill Bailey, children's book buyer for BookPeople, told BTW that she "actually screamed" when she heard that the store had won this year's Pannell Award. "It's a great honor to be recognized," she said. "It makes us want to do even more."

That's a tall order for a store that boasts a comprehensive approach to engaging young readers in the Austin area. Specialty storytime series at BookPeople include Yoga, Music, Bilingual in Spanish and French, Theater, and American Sign Language. In the summer, an Around the World storytime series, focusing on a different place each week, is offered. BookPeople takes its shows on the road with book-based puppet shows and presentations in many venues around the city. Staff members are given incentives to read advanced reader copies to ensure familiarity with children's titles.

The Pannell Awards will be presented at BookExpo America in New York City at the Children's Book and Author Breakfast on Friday, June 3. Each winner will receive a check for $1,000 and a framed piece of original art created by a children's book illustrator. Artists Barbara Lavallee and Ed Young contributed this year's art. This year's jury also selected Wonderland Books and Toys in Rockford, Illinois for an honorable mention in the children's specialty store category.

Bookpeople will also be honored at ABA's Friday Celebration of Bookselling at BEA as the recipient of this year's Publishers Weekly Bookseller of the Year Award. --Nomi Schwartz