Despite a trying economic climate, children's booksellers nationwide are expressing cautious confidence in the upcoming holiday sales season, but voice less certainty about early 2009.

Laura Emden, Inkwood Books, Tampa Bay, Fla.What's selling?The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart; Graceling by Kristin Cashore; Swing! by Rufus Butler Seder; and ABC3D by Marion Bataille.Holiday expectations? A lot of people are already buying Christmas gifts, which is unusual. I've had a couple of people say they are buying books for Christmas presents because they're not spending a lot of money this year. Books are a happy medium.What about 2009? I think books are an inexpensive and easy recreation. Instead of going out to movies every week, it seems like if you don't have a lot of money, books last longer for entertainment. Maybe that'll make more people read.Will Peters, Annie Bloom's Books, Portland, Ore.
What's selling?Bats at the Library by Brian Lies; Pete & Pickles by Berkeley Breathed; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book by Jeff Kinney; The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (“part of that is the price points, which are $3 to $5 less than hardcovers”).
Holiday expectations? I wouldn't expect it to be a great Christmas, saleswise. I think Amazing Peace, Maya Angelou's Christmas poem, will appeal to our customers. With the very young, a gentle Christmas book is Hurry! Hurry! Have You Heard? by Laura Melmed.
What about 2009? I think sales of adult books might be affected more than children's books. Even if the economy is bad, I think people will invest in their children before they invest in themselves.
Diane Mangan, Borders Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich.
What's selling?Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis; If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff; My Little Girl by Tim McGraw; Paper Towns by John Green (“his readership has grown exponentially”); The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.
Holiday expectations? With the Twilight, Marley and Me and The Tale of Despereaux movies coming out, I expect Christmas, particularly in the kids' area, to be strong.
What about 2009? We have a really good lineup of things for the spring: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw. Ann Brashares has 3 Willows around that same time. The Warriors series from Harper continues to be very strong. Overall, the picture book season looks to be good, too.
Jilleen Moore, Square Books, Jr., Oxford, Miss.
What's selling?Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo; 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher; Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Holiday expectations? I think that people are going to continue to spend money here when they might not across the street at our adult store.
What about 2009? January and February may be tough, but we will have the best selection so that when people do shop here, they'll know they are spending their money on something of substance.
Josie Leavitt, The Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne, Vt.
What's selling?The Hunger Games (“we're handselling it left and right”); The Tale of Despereaux movie tie-ins; Masterpiece by Elise Broach (“everyone on staff has read it and they're just blown away”).
Holiday expectations? Every time I think business is off, we are actually doing well, especially compared to last year, when we had a Harry Potter. In our location, people are very supportive of independents. They may be buying fewer books, but they'll still be buying.
What about 2009? January and February in Vermont can be somewhat bleak. People are still coming back from holidays and getting credit card statements from Christmas, which is a real wakeup call.
Dara La Porte, Politics & Prose, Washington, D.C.
What's selling?Nation by Terry Pratchett; My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath; Steinbeck's Ghost by Lewis Buzbee; The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski; The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson; Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury.
Holiday expectations? I don't think we're going to have a weak, weak Christmas and all go home crying. I'd say people are still coming out in droves, but spending a bit less.
What about 2009? I think this Christmas will be not quite as strong but still strong, with signs of weakness in the winter.
Diane Capriola, Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, Ga.
What's selling?Tea for Ruby by Sarah Ferguson; Madeline and the Cats of Rome by John Bemelmens Marciano; Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke; and the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard (“always a big sell for us”).
Holiday expectations? We're trying to surround the cash-wrap area with impulse sales items—gifty books, a lot of sidelines like finger puppets and book-related plush.
What about 2009? January and February tend to be slow months for us, and we anticipate them being even slower in 2009. We're looking for creative ways to get people in the shop.