For many children's booksellers, the dog days of summer often translate into the dog days of sales. Of course, this summer is sure to be an exception with the June 21 release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. But the latest Potter title aside, most stores can count on some traditional seasonal sales (including those of titles on local schools' summer reading lists), and are usually searching for ways to build summer traffic. In recent years, summer reading clubs and groups have become a sales-boost solution, as welcome as the ice cream truck on a hot afternoon. PW recently spoke with children's booksellers about their plans for the summer season.
For three-year-old Newtown Bookshop in Newtown, Pa., a steadily growing summer reading club helps the store take advantage of location, location, location. "What really helps us is having a very good outdoor set-up," said co-owner Karen Beem. "We are in a strip mall that has large covered porch-like walkways at one end that aren't used. There is also a triangle of grass about 15 feet by 20 feet. These areas are far enough from the parking lot and do not interfere with other stores' business. So the kids can be as loud and as messy as they want out there."
Location is also part of what makes Newtown's summer success especially sweet. "Our club has grown every year, even though we are located just four doors down from a Zany Brainy," Beem said. "I think we've really put a dent in their summer reading program."
Beem hires accredited teachers to lead approximately 10 different groups of seven to 10 kids each. There are groups appealing to a broad range of interests and ages from first graders through junior high school students. Two writing groups and a Harry Potter group will also be part of the mix this year. "We work on the book list together," said Beem. "The teachers tend to want the tried and true and I want to incorporate new titles." Prior to beginning the program in earnest, Beem said, "We put copies of all the books out and don't list the grade levels so parents can decide the reading level of the child. That eliminates a lot of parental problems." Some of the books the groups will dive into this year are Summer Reading Is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka, Bunnicula by James Howe, The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse by Bruce Hale and titles from the High-Rise Private Eyes series written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by G. Brian Karas.
The Newtown Bookshop summer reading program runs from the end of June until the beginning of August, when the kids celebrate their reading success with a party including "ice cream, games and prizes—all the freebie goodies from the publishers," Beem commented. Young readers who want to participate pay a $40 fee, which allows Beem to pay the teachers $25 per week, plus $10 for each child registered in that teacher's group. The fee also covers supplies for crafts and activities related to the books. The cost of books is extra, but children are not required to purchase titles at the Newtown Bookshop. They may bring a copy from home or borrow one from the library.
Describing a result that every bookseller hopes for, Beem says that sales frequently extend beyond just the book group participants. "Parents or siblings come to pick up or drop off the kids and they often stay in the store during the program, looking at other books. This really helps during July and early August."
Great Lakes Style
Butterfly Books, an 11-year-old children's book store in DePere, Wis., has a well-established summer reading program and plans to kick off its summer 2003 line-up at the end of June, to run through the end of August. "They are incredibly popular," said manager Nancy Reinhart of the clubs. In past years the store has featured mother/daughter and father/son book clubs, classes on poetry and journaling as well as clubs devoted to various genres and book series. "Last summer our Magic Tree House reading club was so popular that we had to let [series author] Mary Pope Osborne know," Reinhart noted. "She responded with a lovely and encouraging letter that was shared with all our club members."
This year, in addition to its traditional groups, Butterfly will have a club that spotlights a different book genre at each meeting, an adult group that will meet to discuss young adult literature, and a scrapbook and journaling group that will read the scrapbook-themed novel The United Tates of America by Paula Danziger. Other selections include the Animal Ark Pets series by Ben M. Baglio and the Pinky and Rex series written by James Howe and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.
In preparation, Reinhart and her staff have prepared fliers and asked local schools to distribute them to students. "Within two days of putting the fliers out, we started receiving calls," Reinhart commented. "Summers are traditionally slower in some ways, so these clubs keep traffic in the store. It's also fun to do things mid-week, because during the rest of the year we're usually confined to weekends," she added. At Butterfly, a $20 fee covers two to four one-hour sessions and, in many cases, the price of one book and materials as well.
A Likely Story in Alexandria, Va., has been running a summer reading program for a few years, according to owner Marilyn Dugan. "We alternate weeks on Mondays for ages five to eight and eight to 10," she said. There's no fee to sign up for the clubs, which run during July and August. Some of this year's highlighted titles include Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. Bookseller Dinah Paul leads the group discussions and activities, but as the program progresses, the participants help choose some of the books used. And, as is the practice at several other stores, Dugan noted that A Likely Story "saves up a lot of publisher freebies" throughout the year to give away at an end-of-summer party for all the groups.
"It's just fun for kids," Dugan said. "Kids have so many obligations during the year with soccer teams and ballet lessons, this is something nice for them. It's great to get some of the older kids in who are really enthusiastic readers." But it also provides a bump in business, too. "Parents will stay in the store for a length of time and they are browsing," Dugan remarked. "We feel it's worthwhile in many ways."
Wonderland Books & Toys in Naperville, Ill., is relatively new to the summer reading club game, having previously partnered with its local library in a summer venture. Owner Erin Taylor said she plans to launch a Wonderland summer program. A local Montessori teacher is on board to help kids going into first grade and beginning readers "with pre-reading activities to develop good habits and skills," according to Taylor. Another teacher will lead groups for older age groups, in which kids will vote on some of the books they want to read. "We're having a teen book group, too," Taylor added, "but that's a hard audience for us to reach since we are a children's-only store." A $40—$50 fee covers the cost of "one hardcover and probably five or six paperbacks" for each participant, noted Taylor. And as for teacher payment, Wonderland lucked out. "She works for books," Taylor said with a laugh, referring to one of the teachers involved.
Chain Links
The bookstore chains are no strangers to summer reading programs. The Zany Brainy Summer Reading Club, whose theme is "Summer Reading Rocks!," runs June 16—July 24. Four different age groups ranging from four- and five-year-olds, to kids 10 and up, meet once per week in the evening. Each week features a different theme, including Heroes, Secret Spies and America; 72 titles in all are part of the program. As further incentive, participants who purchase six books receive a 15% savings pass.
Barnes & Noble's summer reading program is now in its seventh year. The 2003 program, entitled "Go on a Treasure Hunt with Books," begins Memorial Day and runs through Labor Day. Kids who record the titles of eight books they've read in a "Treasure Hunter's Journal," which is available at B&N stores, and have the journal signed by a parent or guardian, will receive one free book from a select list. A couple of the titles in the spotlight at B&N this year are Hank Zipzer: Niagara Falls or Does It? by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver, and Judy Moody Gets Famous by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter Reynolds. (Borders did not respond to interview requests.)
Be they from large stores or small, booksellers certainly have common summer goals (besides staying cool): building traffic and building readers. That's something to raise a tall glass of lemonade to.
