Kids ♥ Authors Day • February 14, 2009

Kids Heart Authors Celebration Stories!

After our New England wide Valentine's Day effort to show how much we value our independent booksellers, stories and photos are pouring in (click the states listed in the sidebar to see some pics)! Send YOUR favorite literary memories of the day to kidsheartauthors@yahoo.com.

"It was a fabulous success! Sales increases far exceeded marketing costs, and the million-dollar karma in mid-February was the BEST." — Carol Chittenden, bookseller, Eight Cousins, Falmouth, MA

"Lea Wait and I had a wonderful signing this morning at DDG Booksellers in Farmington! We sold a nice amount of books and the people who came were very enthusiastic--it was a lovely event!" — Cynthia Lord, author

"A lot of fun here, good turn out, nice folks, lots of smiles." — Kenny Brechner, bookseller, DDG Books, Farmington, ME

"We had a good day at Bank Square Books in Mystic, CT! The five of us had fun getting to know each other, and signing & reading our books. I had never been to this bookstore, and was really impressed - FYI, one of the best children's book sections I've seen." — Deborah Freedman, author

"It was by far the most successful children's event we've had! With 30 kids in attendance and 25 adults, the authors took turns presenting their books while kids sat and listened (captivated) or worked on books of their own at the craft table. Our eight authors came with all sorts of unique talents ... Along with grapes, cupcakes, balloons, crafts and stories, the event was a smashing success. — Donna Kirk, bookseller, River Run Bookstore, Portsmouth, NH

"The Alphabet Garden played warm host to seven authors and many dozens of patrons. I sat at a table with Tony Abbott and Leslie Bulion. Across the store, Donna Marie Merritt and Kate Duke sat at one table, while Kathleen Kudlinski and Pegi Deitz Shea sat at another. All the while, the wonderful folks at the Alphabet Garden helped kids make Valentine’s Day cards with paper, cut-outs, scissors, glue, markers, crayons, and all kinds of glittery items. What fun for all!" — A.C.E. Bauer, author

"I'm still aglow. So many customers voiced their appreciation for the bookstore and what it adds to the community. They definitely felt the magic of the event, and one little girl decided on the spot that she wants to be a writer when she grows up. How great is that?!" — Elizabeth Bluemle, author and bookseller, Flying Pig Bookstore, VT

"I participated in a 'Kids Heart Authors' book signing at Children’s Book Cellar in Waterville, Maine. Children’s Book Cellar is a truly magical place. What makes it so exceptional? Every inch of the warm, color-splashed store is filled with fabulous literature. I can’t imagine any child (or any adult for that matter) resisting the charms of the books that line these walls. I wanted to leave with armfuls of new stories. Owner Ellen Richmond loves her job as children’s literature aficionado and it shows. — Jennifer Richard Jacobson, author, ME

"This event was a raging success for Flying Pig and for Chooseco specifically. We probably sold 35-40 books in the two hours. Met lots of great kids and parents. Really glad we attended. They did a fabulous job. This is a well-run store." — Shannon Gilligan, author, VT

"Kudos to everyone else who dreamed up and worked this sweet idea into a wonderful event! I was a lucky ducky to be one of seven authors who chatted with and signed books for a steady stream of readers and book lovers at The Alphabet Garden in Cheshire, CT. Our hosts offered treats, smiles, Valentine's Day card-making and great conversation at their lovely children's book shop. Thanks to all for a great day!"— Leslie Bulion, author, CT

"We had a smashingly successful event at the Andover Bookstore! Our seven participating authors and illustrators got along like gang-busters. Business cards, e-mail addresses and phone numbers were exchanged and plans were made to reconvene at some point in the future in Andover, perhaps to offer readings and insight to our Teen Writing Workshop (still in the planning stages). We had a full house of families with kids of all ages for the entire 2 hours, and then some! Everyone listened closely as each author read from their work or shared their sketches and sweetly professed their love of independent bookstores (Thank you!) Many guests left with signed books in hand, having discovered a new author and treated themselves and their kids to a uniquely literary Valentine. This was a particularly satisfying and energizing way to kick off our 200th year in Andover, celebrating our run as the second oldest continuously operating independent bookstore in the country. It's events like this that separate indies from the rest of the bookselling pack. Here's hoping it becomes an annual event!" — Susan Savory, Andover Bookstore, bookseller

"We had a steady stream of people coming through, including a number of families ... We also had a couple of interesting people show up: A literacy instructor from a magnet school who was looking for authors to come in and read for Read Across America Day (at least three of us were available) and a librarian for two schools who was buying books for her libraries and taking pictures of herself with each of us for either a website or blog she's hoping to get started." — Gail Gauthier, author, CT

"I had a great time at the Andover Bookstore on Saturday and got a lot of support for my first novel. You may have started an entirely new movement of connecting authors and independent bookstores." — Resa Nelson, author, MA

"Had a wonderful time at Books on the Square in Providence this morning - met 4 other authors and so enjoyed that! It is empowering to feel like we're doing our little bit to help the indies - little drops of water make up the vastness of the ocean and all that sort of thing!" — Padma Venkatraman, author, RI

"Thanks for your help. We had a wonderful event at our local bookstore. Sold lots of books and hope to repeat the event again in the future." — Skylight Books, Los Angeles, CA

"Gr8 Kids [Heart] Authors Day : 15 guests and dozens of customers! Happy 2 be part of a gr8 community building tradition! Thx 2 all! (very 1st Twitter!)" -- The Voracious Reader, Larchmont NY

"The event was terrific! It was well-attended, the bookstore made everyone (authors and audience) feel welcome, and we had authors reading from and speaking about a range of titles. Also, it was a great opportunity for local authors to meet and mingle. Thanks so much for making this happen…I can't wait until next year!" -- Kara LaReau, author, RI

"We had a wonderful day at Brown Dog Books on Saturday! Thank you so very much for all your hard work organizing the author day. I truly appreciate it -- the day proved to be a shot in that arm for everybody! -- Natacha Liuzzi, Brown Dog Books, Hinesburg VT

"Last Saturday was so much fun at Books on the Common in Ridgefield, CT. This indie bookstore is so wonderful that I will definitely drive the half hour to go find books there. They have tons of books and as one 9-year-old reader said to me, 'I love it that they don't have five copies of all the same books. I can always find what I want in this store.' The owners, Ellen Burns and her husband Darwin Ellis, have made this shop so inviting, and all the customers who came on Kids Heart Authors Day were so excited to have them sponsor this event. I loved autographing Little Toot and meeting the other authors. Unfortunately the Connecticut schools were almost all on vacation this week, so many families were away, but the warmth of the readers who came made up for it, and I am sure that next year this event would be much-anticipated." -- Linda Gramatky Smith, author, CT

"The Village Books signing was so much fun; I loved meeting Lorie and Jane and the other authors there (Karen, Marissa, and Kathi! all SO cool!) and the kids that came in were adorable. The bookstore was super-cute, and they did a terrific job setting up a table with all our books (which you can see in the photo of all of us -- it was beautiful!), and there was coffee and bagels and Karen made cookies and it was all so warm and happy and fabulous. Yay! Thank you SO much for organizing this! It was a great idea! I hope there will be more like it!" -- Tui Sutherland, author, MA

"What a great morning at our little bookstore. Seven authors all together, sharing stories with each other and the families that came to visit. The energy in the store was great, and it was a little bit of sunshine for Valentine's Day. It was so nice for our staff and customers to meet and talk with such an interesting group of writers. We loved it!" -- The Blue Bunny, Dedham

"Just wanted to let you know we had a great time at the Carle Museum last week on Valentine's Day. It was just the right number of people and we all managed to sell a number of books. Giving short presentations and readings and then just being there to talk one on one was the way to go. Even toddlers listened attentively! I hope this event continues annually." -- Giles Laroche, MA

Happy Valentine's Day, New England!

Over 40 independent bookstores and 170 authors and/or illustrators are teaming up to make V-Day 2009 an unforgettable one for New England families.

Bundle up your brood and head to your community bookstore on Saturday, February 14th, where local authors and illustrators will gather from 10 to 12 a.m. to sign books for kids and teens.

Bookstores will provide bunches of books, and authors and illustrators will personalize them and answer any and all questions about writing and drawing.

Don't miss this chance to shower your pint-sized (or teen-sized) valentine with literary love. Browse by state to find the perfect destination for you and your beloved young person this Valentine's Day, and check the listings in the sidebar to find websites for confirmed authors, illustrators, and booksellers.

Press and media contacts interested in Kids ♥ Authors Day should contact Deborah Sloan and Company, and any site inquiries go to Mitali Perkins. And, last but not least, here's why Authors ♥ Indies.

Kids Heart Authors logo lovingly designed by bookseller Aimee McLear.

Maine Bookstores

CHILDREN'S BOOK CELLAR, Waterville
52 Main Street Map

Jennifer Richards Jacobson, Kevin Hawkes, and Maria Padian

Kevin Hawkes
Jennifer Richards Jacobson
Maria Padian

KEVIN HAWKES
Chicken Cheeks, Simon & Schuster (PB)

JENNIFER RICHARD JACOBSON
Andy Shane is NOT in Love, Candlewick (CB)

MARIA PADIAN
Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress, Knopf Books (YA)

DDG BOOKSELLERS, Farmington
193 Broadway Map

Cynthia Lord and Lea Wait greet guests at DDG

Cynthia Lord
Lea Wait

CYNTHIA LORD

Rules, Scholastic (MG)

LEA WAIT

Finest Kind, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster (MG)

OWL AND TURTLE BOOKSHOP, Camden
32 Washington Street Map

Fran Hodgkins

FRAN HODGKINS
Who's Been Here? A Tale in Tracks, Down East Books (PB)

SHERMAN'S MAINE BOOKS & STATIONERY, Bar Harbor
56 Main Street Map

Ellen Booraem
Nan Lincoln
Rebekah Raye

ELLEN BOORAEM
The Unnameables, Harcourt (MG)

NAN LINCOLN
Cecily's Summer, Bunker Hill Publishing (PB)

REBEKAH RAYE
The Very Best Bed, Tilbury House Publishers (PB)

SHERMAN'S MAINE BOOKS & STATIONERY, Freeport
128 Main Street Map

Aileen Darragh
Jamie Hogan
Jay Piscopo
Sarah L. Thomson

AILEEN DARRAGH
Give a Goat, Tilbury House (PB)

JAMIE HOGAN
Rickshaw Girl, Charlesbridge (MG)

JAY PISCOPO

The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli, Nemo Publishing (YA, GN)

SARAH L. THOMSON
Pirates Ho! Marshall Cavendish (PB)

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE BOOKSTORE, Orono
168 College Avenue Map

NOTE: Event Postponed Until Spring / Stay Tuned!

Annie Sibley O'Brien

ANNE SIBLEY O'BRIEN

The Legend of Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood of Korea, Charlesbridge (MG)

Connecticut Bookstores

THE ALPHABET GARDEN, Cheshire
132 Elm Street Map

Tony Abbott
A.C.E. Bauer
Leslie Bulion
Kate Duke
Kathleen Kudlinski
Donna Marie Merritt
Pegi Dietz Shea

TONY ABBOTT
The Secrets of Droon, Scholastic (CB)

A.C.E. BAUER

No Castles Here, Random House Children's Books (MG)

LESLIE BULION
The Trouble With Rules, Peachtree (MG)

KATE DUKE

Archaeologists Dig For Clues, HarperCollins (NF)

KATHLEEN KUDLINSKI
Boy, Were We Wrong About the Solar System! Dutton (PB, NF)

DONNA MARIE MERRITT
Too-Tall Tina, Kane (PB)

PEGI DEITZ SHEA
Patience Wright: America's First Sculptor & Revolutionary Spy, Henry Holt (NF)

BANK SQUARE BOOKS, Mystic
53 West Main Street Map

Deborah Freedman
Gail Gauthier
Sandra Horning
Laura Jacques
DEBORAH FREEDMAN
Scribble, Knopf Books for Young Readers (PB)

GAIL GAUTHIER
A Girl, a Boy, and Three Robbers, G.P. Putnam's Sons (CB)

SANDRA HORNING
The Giant Hug, Knopf (PB)

LAURA JACQUES
Whistling Wings, Sylvan Dell Publishing (PB)

BOOKS ON THE COMMON, Ridgefield
109 Danbury Road Map

Nora Raleigh Baskin
Sari Bodi
Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Greg Logsted, and Jackie Logsted
Marc Tyler Nobleman
Alicia Zobel Nolan
Susanna Reich
Linda Gramatky Smith

NORA RALEIGH BASKIN
All We Know of Love, Candlewick Press (YA)

SARI BODI
The Ghost in Allie's Pool, Brown Barn Books (MG)

LAUREN BARATZ-LOGSTED, GREG LOGSTED, and JACKIE LOGSTED
Annie's Adventures: Book One in The Sisters 8 Series, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (MG)

MARK TYLER NOBLEMAN
Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, Knopf (NF)

ALLIA ZOBEL NOLAN
Noah's Notebook, Harvest House Publishers (PB)

SUSANNA REICH
Painting the Wild Frontier: The Art and Adventures of George Catlin, Clarion (NF)

LINDA GRAMATKY SMITH
Little Toot, Putnam (PB)

Massachusetts Bookstores

ANDOVER BOOKSTORE, Andover
89R Main Street Map

Resa Nelson, Carol Gordon Ekster, and David Yoo

Pat Lowery Collins
Chris Demarest
Carol Gordon Ekster
Resa Nelson
Teri Weidner
Nancy Werlin
David Yoo

PAT LOWERY COLLINS
The Fattening Hut, Houghton Mifflin (YA)

CHRIS DEMAREST
May Day! May Day! A Coast Guard Rescue, Margaret K. McElderry (CB)

CAROL GORDON EKSTER
Where Am I Sleeping Tonight? A Story of Divorce, Boulden Publishing (CB)

RESA NELSON
The Dragonslayer's Sword, Mundania Press (YA)

TERI WEIDNER
Say Daddy! Sleeping Bear Press (PB)

NANCY WERLIN
Impossible, Penguin (YA)

DAVID YOO
Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before, Hyperion (YA)

THE BLUE BUNNY, Dedham
577 High Street Map

Susan Goodman
Robert Kinerk
Rose A. Lewis
Susan Lubner
Deborah Noyes
Melissa Stewart

SUSAN GOODMAN
All in Just One Cookie, Greenwillow (PB)

ROBERT KINERK
Clorinda, Simon & Schuster (PB)

ROSE LEWIS
I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, Little Brown (PB)

SUSAN LUBNER
A Horse's Tale, Abrams (PB)

DEBORAH NOYES
Red Butterfly: How a Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk Out of China, Candlewick (PB)

MELISSA STEWART
A Place For Butterflies, Peachtree (NF)

BOOKS BY THE SEA, Osterville
846 Main Street Map

MARTIN W. SANDLER
Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life, Walker Books (NF)

BOOK ENDS, Winchester
559 Main Street Map