Bookstore sales fell 4.4% in August, to $1.94 billion, according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. The decline was the largest of any month this year and continued the trend of soft summer sales. Sales for the entire retail sector rose 5.2% in August. Bookstore sales for the first eight months of 2002 were up 3.2%, to $10.9 billion, while sales for all of retail were ahead 3.7% for that period.