Holiday Hand-Selling

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Hand-selling book time! I’ve noticed that the holiday shopping season brings more people asking for opinions and recommendations on books than any other time of the year.  And opinions and recommendations I’ve got!  It’s the time of year where people are kind enough to buy books for children of friends and far-away relatives. Not knowing these children very well, more often than not, customers need helping picking out the perfect gift. “What’s good for a precocious 8 year old girl?” How about Matilda by Roald Dahl? “His mother said to find a picture book about magic tricks.” Try Milo's Hat Trick by Jon Agee. “I'm looking for a book with a character named Eli.” Maybe All The Places to Love by Patricia McLaughlin...Oh, look! We even have a signed copy! “I need a picture book about a boy dancer.” Hmmm... I just love when we get really stumped.  At this point all the staff gets together to scour the store.  How about Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen and Kadir Nelson?  Or Alvin Ailey by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brain Pinkney? Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola? Rap A Tap Tap by the Dillons? I think we had just as much fun finding the books as the customer had going through her options. Our collective bookseller brain is a wonderful thing to watch in action.  You’ll have to come in and stump us sometime. Can't make it in to visit us quite yet? Send us an email (shop@carlemuseum.org) and let our collective bookseller brain suggest books for you online instead.