For the first time since the PW awards were launched nearly 25 years ago, a children’s bookstore has been named winner by a panel of industry judges. Wild Rumpus Books in Minneapolis, Minn., which is celebrating its first quarter century in 2017, is this year’s PW Bookstore of the Year.
The bookstore, which was founded by Collette Morgan and Tom Braun, takes its name from Maurice Sendak’s oft-quoted line in Where the Wild Things Are: “Let the wild rumpus start!” Books aren’t the only wild things at this neighborhood shop, either. Cats, chickens, a ferret, and other assorted creatures, including an occasional horse, can be found there, too.
In nominating Wild Rumpus, Jennifer Sheridan of HarperCollins (who was PW's 2015 Sales Rep of the Year), wrote: “This charming, unique, and magical place that specializes in children’s books is one of the best in the nation. Long a favorite destination for the community, and the entire Twin Cities region, this store is a favorite of authors as well."
For the second time in three years a HarperCollins sales representative, Anne DeCourcey, has been named PW Sales Rep of the Year.
New England Independent Booksellers Association executive director Steve Fischer recommended DeCourcey. “Her accounts adore her," he said.
DeCourcey also has a connection to the children's bookselling world. She worked at the bookstore owned by her mother, Marilyn Hollinshead, Pinocchio Bookstore for Children in Pittsburgh (now closed).
Look for in-depth interviews with the 2017 award-winners in the May 15 pre-BookExpo issue of Publishers Weekly.
