In The Bookstore with Annie B. Jones

by J.G. Annino

This is my first interview here at our Group Blog with

a bookstore owner. I am excited to introduce

Annie B. Jones, of The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Ga.

 I met Annie when she helped her area's public library

put on its annual author extravaganza. I have enjoyed

getting to know her even more, ever since as she's
traveled down the road into Florida for book events here.

Prediction: this young woman is likely to become famous 
within her field. How many bookstore entrepreneurs have
 invited everyone who could fit, to a sit-down dinner 
among the books, eating fine food on family china?
Annie has. The picture is at her store blog.

Q

What are some of your more popular categories of

children's books? Animal topics? Sports? Nature?

Children's picture books of all kinds are our most popular,

perhaps because they're not quite the same when read 

electronically (their beautiful illustrations look best in print!).

Books with imaginative protagonists, animals, and fairy tales

seem to attract the most little hands. 

Annie B. Jones, The Bookshelf, Thomasville, Ga. (Left.)
Irene Latham, visiting children's author (Right.)

Q
Can you share a few specific titles of The Bookshelf's

most-selling children's books? 

The Adventures of Beetle

The Princess and the Giant

I Want My Hat Back

This Is Not My Hat

The Book with No Pictures  

+ any book we use for story time

often does really well.

Q

How do you decide which children's books to order?

 Our children's manager Rebekah creates draft orders

for all of our children's picture books, middle reader titles

 and YA selections. She's got great taste, and I follow

along behind her and add any titles I think we'll need.

We base our orders on our own personal tastes (Rebekah

leans more toward fantasy, and I lean toward more

realistic fiction) and on customer feedback -- including

 feedback from children and teenagers who love

The Bookshelf as much as we do. 

Our sales reps for different publishing companies

are also great at recommending new titles. 

Q

 Have you ever missed a title & then realized, due to

customer requests or other indications, you needed that

children's title in the shop?  Which ones?

Absolutely! This happens mostly with older titles

 (The Paper Bag Princess

 Each Peach, Pear, Plum)

 We're pretty good about stocking new, fun, current

 titles, but sometimes we forget about the classics!

Our customers are great about telling us their favorite

 older titles, and those often become bestsellers for us. 

People still love classics for baby showers and gifts, and

we're happy to accept and order customer suggestions!

 Q

What are three favorite non-book items, that are bought

for children at the bookshelf? (Candy counts!)

We try to stock imaginative, educational toys at

The Bookshelf, and they do really well for us. 

Magnetic play sets and colorful flashcards by Eeboo are great,

 and we carry these awesome super hero capes, 
masks, and tutus from Everfan -- an imaginative play 
company based in Thomasville. It's so fun to watch kids 
try on the capes and roam around the store.

Puzzles are also big!

Q

 Spooky season is here, so can share any 

popular store titles for pumpkin & fun-scary times?

 The Old Woman Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything

Big Pumpkin

Eek! Halloween

Owl Babies (more fall than Halloween)

Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin.

Q

Care to share some favorite titles from your child days?

Children's books really do have the power to create

lifelong readers. I remember my favorite chapter books more than

I remember my favorite books: Caddie Woodlawn,

The Boxcar Children, Harriet the Spy, Bloomability,

Grandpa's Mountain, Emily of New Moon,

An Old-Fashioned Girl, Eight Cousins,

Anne of Green Gables... honestly,

 I could go on for days. 

That's a great closing line, Annie B. Jones, because 

fortunately you do go on for days and days in your very 

own lovely bookshop of new & recommended volumes. 

Brava! for being where you shine.

.....................................................

To visit The Bookshelf from afar-

Dip into a lively blog there, in which Annie discusses books on screens.

Or see some of their events

See their national honor nomination (Of course, I voted for Annie & The Bookshelf!-Jan)

Appreciations to Annie B. Jones who is living her very own Kathleen Kelly-inspired dream as the owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in downtown Thomasville, Georgia. An avid reader since childhood, Annie loves matching her customers with the perfect book.