WNBA Pannell Award for Bookstores

WNBA Pannell Award

Named after Lucile Micheels Pannell, a founding member of one of the WNBA chapters, the WNBA Pannell Awards was created by the WNBA in 1981 to recognize and publicly applaud the work of booksellers who stimulate, promote and encourage children’s and young people’s interest in books.

Every year a panel of publishing professionals selects two winners of the award—one a general bookstore and one a children’s specialty bookstore. The store nominations come from customers, sales reps, store personnel, or anyone who has been impressed with the work of a particular independent bookstore.

Lucile Micheels Pannell

Lucile Micheels Pannell was born in the late 1800s. A model bookwoman, her career included teaching in a one-room schoolhouse, working as a librarian, then managing the Hobby Horse Bookshop in Chicago’s Carson Pirie Scott department store from 1943 to 1953.

Although she had no children of her own, Lucile loved reading to children and introducing them to the world of books. Chicago schools would sponsor field trips to the Hobby Horse Bookshop because children and teachers loved visiting with Lucile to listen to stories and learn about the world of books. This award is our way to honor Lucile’s special role in the WNBA’s history.

2020 WNBA Pannell Award Winners

General Bookstore: BOOKPEOPLE in Austin, Texas

Children’s Specialty Bookstore: LITTLE SHOP OF STORIES in Decatur, Georgia

Co-chair Susan Knopf announced the winners during this year’s Children’s Book and Author Dinner.

While the winners are normally announced during BookExpo America’s Children’s Book and Author Breakfast, this year the breakfast was a dinner and the ceremony was virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.

You can watch the video of the livestream on BookExpo’s Facebook page. Authors Judy Blume, Marie Lu, Natalie Portman, Misty Copeland, Kwame Mbalia, and Raj Haldar discuss their writing and books. To watch the award announcement, skip to the last ten minutes of the video.

https://www.facebook.com/59615168497/videos/2841376125910643/

BookExpo America’s Children’s Book and Author Breakfast 2020

Upon hearing the good news, Meghan Dietsche Goel, Children’s Book Buyer and Programming Director for BookPeople, responded, “BookPeople is so honored to be acknowledged by the WNBA Pannell Award this year. Like every bookstore in the country, we are working hard to reimagine what it means to serve our community right now — to continue to build a love of reading in young readers and foster necessary conversations through books in challenging times. Being an indie bookseller has always meant embracing change, offering what our local communities need most, and always finding new ways to rise to the challenge.”

Jurors noted BookPeople’s many contributions to Austin, their outreach, and non-stop energy that makes them one of the great stores in this country.

Justin Colussy-Estes, store manager of Little Shop of Stories, said, “We are thrilled that Little Shop of Stories has been awarded the 2020 WNBA Pannell Award. What a gift to be given right now. We have not had a customer in our store for two months. Our methods have had to change, but our mission has not: to foster empathy, creativity, and bravery in children through books. The children will return. The visits and the story times and the parties and the camps…they’ll be back. Until then, we wish love, safety, and hope to all of our readers and fellow booksellers. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Our hearts are full today.”

Jurors lauded their mix of creativity and knowledge of just the right thing for each customer to help make readers out of their little ones.

This year, dozens of bookstores spread across the country received enthusiastic nominations from avid customers, authors, bookstore employees, and publishing professionals. A five-member jury selected the award recipients.

The WNBA Pannell Award jurors for 2020 were:

Bina Williams, Children’s Librarian, Bridgeport Public Library
Brenda Bowen, Literary Agent, The Book Group
Eileen Robinson, Founder and Publisher, Move Books
Emily Romero, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Penguin Young Readers
Phoebe W. Yeh, Vice President and Publisher, Crown Books for Young Readers

The WNBA Pannell Award co-chairs are Susan Knopf, Founder and President of Scout Books & Media and Gloria Koster, children’s author and librarian.

The winning bookstores each receive a check for $1,000. In addition, they receive a piece of signed, original artwork. This year’s celebrated children’s illustrators contributing artwork are Elisha Cooper (River, Orchard Books/Scholastic) and Denise Fleming (This Is the Nest That Robin Built, Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster).

The WNBA thanks the award’s co-sponsors, Penguin Young Readers Group, for their contribution to this prestigious award.

Press Release Announcing the 2020 WNBA Pannell Award Winners

Publisher’s Weekly Squib

2020 WNBA Pannell Award Nominees

Children’s Specialty Bookstore Category

Blue Manatee Literacy Project Bookstore (Cincinnati, OH)
Books of Wonder (New York, NY)
Cover to Cover Books for Young Readers (Columbus, OH)
Eyeseeme (University City, MO)
Linden Tree Books (Los Altos, CA)
Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, GA)
Monkey See, Monkey Do…Children’s Bookstore (Clarence, NY)
Second Star to the Right Books (Denver, CO)
Square Books Jr. (Oxford, MS)
Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab (Brooklyn, NY)

Once the WNBA Pannell Award jurors have reviewed all submissions, the winning bookstores will be notified by phone and all submitting bookstores will also receive a call. Each of the two winners will receive a $1,000 check and a framed signed original art piece from a children’s book illustrator. The presentation of the award will be in New York City at the BookExpo/ABA Children’s Book and Author Breakfast, which draws more than 1,000 attendees.

2020 WNBA Pannell Award Nominations Press Release

2019 Award Winners Announced

Since 1983, the Women’s National Book Association has awarded one of the most prestigious honors in children’s bookselling in the United States. Given annually at BookExpo America’s Children’s Book and Author Breakfast, the WNBA Pannell Award recognizes bookstores that enhance their communities by bringing exceptional creativity to foster a love of reading and books in children and young adults.

The Women’s National Book Association is pleased to announce the 2019 WNBA Pannell Award award winner in two categories: General Bookstore and Children’s Bookstore.

57th Street Books in Chicago, Illinois

The winner in the General Bookstore category, 57th Street Books, was cited by the award jury for the store’s “exceptional passion and creativity.”

Hicklebee’s Bookstore in San Jose, California

The winner in the Children’s Specialty Bookstore category, Hicklebee’s Bookstore in San Jose, Calif., is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. The Pannell jury described Hicklebee’s as “the gold standard for children’s bookselling and an extraordinary place that outdoes itself every year.”

This year’s winners were chosen by a committee of publishing professionals, including Amanda Barillas, field sales children’s specialist at Macmillan; Brenda Bowen, literary agent at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates; Bernette Ford, founder of Color-Bridge Books; Emily Romero, senior v-p of marketing at Penguin Young Readers; and Phoebe W. Yeh, v-p and publisher at Crown Books for Young Readers.

The winning stores will each receive a check for $1,000 and a signed work of original art from a children’s book illustrator. The awards will be presented at the BookExpo Children’s Book and Author Breakfast on May 31 in New York City.

Along with the WNBA, Penguin Young Readers Group co-sponsors the award, which was established in honor of Lucille Micheels Pannell, founding member of the Chicago chapter of the WNBA organization. Pannell was a well-known librarian, author, and manager of the Hobby Horse Bookshop at Carson, Pirie, Scott, and Company department store in Chicago. Pannell also founded the Chicago Children’s Reading Table and was the first bookseller to win the WNBA Award in 1949.

2018 WNBA Pannell Award Winners

General Bookstore category:

Northshire Bookstore, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Children’s Bookstore category:

Pannell Award jurors:

Brenda Bowen, literary agent, Greenburger Associates
Susan Katz Radin, publisher emeritus, HarperCollins Children’s Books
Emily Romero, senior vice president of marketing, Penguin Young Readers
Roger Sutton, editor in chief, The Horn Book
Lisa Von Drasek, curator of Childrens’ Literature Research Collections, Univ. of Minnesota

Upon hearing the good news, Nancy Scheemaker from Northshire Bookstore exclaimed, “We are deeply honored and so thrilled to be chosen for the WNBA Pannell Award. To be singled out from the prestigious list of nominees this year is all the more extraordinary. I cannot think of a stronger form of encouragement for a young and growing bookstore. We are so grateful and so excited!” Jurors noted that the store is one the most energetic bookstores and lauded its passionate staff and year-round schedule of creative programs and events.

Holly Weinkauf from Red Balloon Bookshop, upon hearing the news, said “We are thrilled to win the WNBA Pannell Award! What an incredible honor for our talented and hardworking booksellers, as well as our community that has supported us for 34 years. We are deeply grateful.” Jurors praised Red Balloon Bookshop for its outstanding service to authors, children, and the community.

This year, dozens of bookstores across 16 different states received enthusiastic nominations from loyal customers, authors, bookstore employees, and publishing professionals. A five-member jury selected the 2018 WNBA Pannell Award recipients. The winning stores will each receive a check for $1,000 and a piece of original art from a children’s book illustrator, to be presented at BookExpo America’s Children’s Book and Author Breakfast on Friday, June 1, 2018.

Press Release: 2018 WNBA Pannell Award Winners

The Women’s National Book Association is pleased to announce the 2017 WNBA Pannell Award winners for bookstores.

General Bookstore Category: The Bookworm of Edwards, Edwards, Colorado

Upon hearing the good news, Nicole Magistro, owner of The Bookworm of Edwards, responded, “This is our 20^th anniversary, and our tenth year focusing on children’s books. It is an honor to see our work and efforts recognized in this way!”

Jurors cited The Bookworm of Edwards’ passion, and connection with their community, and inventiveness, as shown in their adopt-a-reader program that provide books for children in need; free book talk services for their school district that makes them a critical resource to school media specialists and educators; and their annual writing contest and book publication program.

Children’s Specialty Bookstore Category: Children’s Book World, Los Angeles, California

Sharon Hearn, the owner of Children’s Book World, said, “I am thankful to the WNBA for this special recognition of Children’s Book World’s commitment to raising curious and empathetic readers for over 30 years.”

Jurors noted their commitment to carrying a diverse selection of titles and the way Children’s Book World embodies the idea of a bookstore as a place of discovery, citing their quarterly poetry slam for readers ages 8-13; their Teen Readers Council; and the “Readers & Writers Rock!” program through which they bring authors to low-income schools and underserved children.

Since 1983, the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA) has awarded one of the most prestigious honors in children’s bookselling. Along with WNBA, Penguin Young Readers Group co-sponsors the Pannell Award which recognizes bookstores that enhance their communities by bringing exceptional creativity to foster a love of reading. Given annually at BookExpo America’s Children’s Book and Author Breakfast, the winning stores each receive a check for $1,000 and a piece of original art from a children’s book illustrator.

Every year a committee of publishing professionals selects two Pannell Award recipients—one general bookstore and one children’s specialty bookstore. Store nominations come from customers, sales reps, store personnel, or anyone who has been impressed with the work of a particular independent bookstore.

The WNBA Pannell Award chair is Susan Knopf, founder and president of Scout Books & Media Inc.

The Pannell Award jurors for 2017 are:

Susan Katz Radin, publisher emeritus, HarperCollins Children’s Books
Josalyn Moran, children’s publishing consultant
Emily Romero, senior vice president of marketing, Penguin Young Readers
Roger Sutton, editor in chief, The Horn Book
Lisa Von Drasek, curator of Children’s Literature Research Collections, Univ. of Minnesota

In 1981, the WNBA established the WNBA Pannell Awards to recognize and publicly applaud the work of booksellers who stimulate, promote and encourage children’s and young people’s interest in books. Lucile Micheels Pannell, a founding member of one of the WNBA chapters, was born in the late 1800s. A model bookwoman, her career included teaching in a one-room schoolhouse, working as a librarian, then managing the Hobby Horse Bookshop in Chicago’s Carson Pirie Scott department store from 1943 to 1953. Although she had no children of her own, Lucile loved reading to children and introducing them to the world of books. Chicago schools would sponsor field trips to the Hobby Horse Bookshop because children and teachers loved visiting with Lucile to listen to stories and learn about the world of books. This Award is our way to honor Lucile’s special role in WNBA’s history.

2019

57th Street Books, Chicago, IL

Hicklebee’s Bookstore, San Jose, CA

2018

Northshire Bookstore, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, MN

2017

The Bookworm of Edwards, in Edwards, Colorado

Children’s Book Word, in Los Angeles, California

2016 Brookline Booksmith, in Brookline, Massachusetts Wild Rumpus Books, in Minneapolis, Minnesota

2015 Anderson’s Bookshop, in Naperville, Illinois Once Upon a Time Bookstore, in Montrose, California

2014 Devaney Doak and Garrett Booksellers in Farmington, Maine 4 Kids Books and Toys, in Zionsville, Indiana

2013 Nicola’s Books, Ann Arbor, MI The Bookbug, Kalamazoo, MI

2012 The Book Beat, in Oak Park, Michigan Monkey See, Monkey Do, in Clarence, New York

2011 Queen Anne Books in Seattle, WA Fairytales Bookstorein Nashville, TN

2010 Green Toad Bookstore in Oneonta, NY Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA

2009 Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati, OH Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop in LaVerne, CA

2008 Kepler’s Books and Magazines of Menlo Park, CA The Flying Pig Bookstore of Shelburne, VT

2007 Books & Books, Coral Gables, Florida Wonderland Books, Rockford, Illinois

2006 Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT A Likely Story Children’s Bookstore, Alexandria,VA

2005 BookPeople, Austin, TX Reading Reptile Books and Toys for Young Mammals, Kansas City, MO

2004 UConn Co-op, Storrs, CT Hicklebee’s Children’s Books, San Jose, CA

2003 Dutton’s Brentwood Bookstore, Los Angeles, CA Halfway Down the Stairs Children’s Book Shop, Rochester, MI

2002 Anderson’s Bookshops, Naperville, IL Eight Cousins Children’s Books, Falmouth, MA

2001 Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC Whale of a Tale, Irvine, CA

2000 McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petosky, MI Children’s Bookshop, Brookline, MA

1999 All for Kids Books, Seattle, WA

1998 Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bainbridge Island, WA Toad Hall Children’s Bookstore, Austin, TX

1997 R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison, CT Enchanted Forest Books for Children, Dallas, TX

1996 Edward T. Rabbit & Co., Richmond, VA Barron’s Books, Longview, TX

1995 Awards not given

1994 Compass Rose Bookshop, Orleans, MA Adventures for Kids, Ventura, CA

1993 Kathy L. Patrick of Barron’s Books, Inc., Longview, TX

1992 Shippack Children’s Books, Kippack, PA Red & Black Books, Seattle, WA

1991 Rosemary and Michael Stimola, A Child’s Story Teaneck, NJ Janet E. Grojean, Little Professor Book Center,LaVista, NB

1990 Rabbit Hill Children’s Bookstore, Hewlett, NY The kids’ place, Marshall, MI

1989 Children’s Book & Gift Market, Atlanta, GA Judi’s Bookstore, Twin Falls, ID

1988 A Likely Story Children’s Bookstore, Alexandria, VA

1987 The Children’s Bookstore, Chicago, IL

1986 The Children’s Hour, Salt Lake City, UT

1985 Toad Hall Children’s Bookstore, Austin, TX

1984 R.M. Mills Bookstore, Nashville, TN

1983 OxCart Bookshop, Rochester, NY

1981 Pannell Award established