Feature Articles: Bookworm

Childhood just isn’t complete without the plaintive wails of a child begging for a pet. And that pet? Usually a dog. You may have seen books about the responsibility of getting a pet, but JJ The American Street Dog and How He Came to Live In Our House goes beyond that and teaches valuable lessons about all the amazing things that can come from adopting a rescue dog. The author, Diane Rose-Solomon, is a Certified Humane Education Specialist and has been involved with rescue for 18 years, ever since she adopted a homeless dog.

Buddy stories have always been popular among children and adults alike. The idea of two (or more) friends joined together on a journey, facing challenges and learning new things, is one that will never go out of style. Night Buddies, Impostors and One Far Out Flying Machine is story of a group of friends, who although very different from one another, share a special bond that takes them on some wild adventures. Author Sands Hetherington is a North Carolina resident with a passion for telling creative and interesting stories to children. He was inspired to write the Night Buddies series by bedtime stories he used to tell to his son John. They enjoyed expanding on the themes and tossing ideas around until their stories grew and took on a life of their own.

Physics is one of the oldest academic fields of study and deals with discovering the rules which all physical objects — little ones, big ones, light ones and heavy ones — obey. It’s a general analysis of nature conducted to understand how the universe behaves. Holding, moving, dropping and rolling all demonstrate physics. Attention-grabbing retailers might set up a demonstration of some of these actions to entice customers to ask questions. This leads into showing them Primary Physics: The Principles Behind Roman Machines, a fascinating book that teaches kids about eight different models of inventions from the time of the Roman Empire.

Invite a little magic into your customers’ lives by showing them an intriguing bit of wall décor that comes with a book to help them welcome a fairy, elf or gnome into their homes. Fantasy takes us where we might not otherwise go. Kids love fantasy and will thrill to the opportunity when they get A Little Lair. Each of these “lairs” is a whimsical door that is accompanied by a read-along page book that explores the many ways to make magic happen. Mac, an elf, introduces himself and guides kids and their families on the journey, explaining how, by placing a Lair on the wall, the little people can enter, making good dreams happen and diminishing night terrors.