What is selling well in the young adult & middle grade market?
The Twilight series,
Monster Variations by Daniel Kraus,
Book Thief by Marukus Zusak
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie,
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, &
Why I Fight by J. Adams Oaks
What do you do to get the young readers into the store?
I think young readers are attracted to the store because they can stop by after school, have something in the café and hang out and look at books.What challenges are you facing within the industry, and how do you deal with them?
I think the biggest challenge in the
industry right now is Amazon. It is important to educate people that when they
spend their money they need to consider a bigger picture. Amazon does not
employ local people, they do not host story time and book groups, they do not
host author events. Amazon does not save boxes for you if you are moving.
Amazon does not let your son use the phone when he is locked out of the house.
Amazon does not donate to school silent auctions. They buy books at prices
that are different than what are offered to a small business and they do not contribute
to the tax base of the economy. The playing field for Amazon is completely
different than that of a small business. Many states have implemented a tax
fairness law but Illinois is not one of those states. I would like to see a move to make the playing field the same for Amazon and other businesses.
What makes you continue to wake up in the morning and come to your job with a
smile on your face?
The part of the store that brings a smile to my face is being part of the community. It’s great to get to know the people that visit the store. It’s been a pleasure watching the neighbor kids grow up. It is a lot of fun to match a customer with the perfect book whether it be for themselves or a gift
Susan Takacs
Comments