Educators Day is October 18 @ The Book Stall

Teachers and school librarians, please join us for our annual Educators Day for grades K-5 on Saturday October 18, 2014 at 10:30 am. 

We'll have bookseller recommendations and plenty of giveaways. It's free, but please reserve a space by calling us at 847 446-8880.

Last Chance to Tackle Summer Reading Lists

Last Chance to Tackle Summer Reading Lists Before the New School Year

 

Another reminder of various schools' assigned summer reading: We have the lists, we have the books, and students have just another week or two to do their summer homework. If your student has been putting off his or her reading so that the books are fresh in mind when the first bell rings, now's the time to act!

Stop in or call us at 847-446-8880.

Very special events for Educators, Parents and Kids

Special event info on Our Teacher Day with
Esme Raji Codell, Maggie Stiefvater in Evanston,
and Rebecca Caudill Award Winner Matthew Cody,
among others! 

Save the Date: Saturday, Sept. 29th is our annual Teacher In-Service Day for grades K-5. With special guest star Esme Raji Codell

Join us for a special morning of giveaways, prizes, book seller presentations, and our special guest Esme Raji Codell, discussing  her new book, Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John "Appleseed" Chapman.

Educators will receive prizes, special gifts, and a coupon for 20% off all books purchased that day.  The event is free, but we do request that you register--reply to this email, stop by the store, or call us at 847-446-8880 to reserve your spot.  Space may be limited.

If you are interested in a free author visit to your school or library by Cold Fury author T.M. Goeglein, contact Robert McDonald at 847-446-8880, or respond to this email. 

   

Maze Runner author James Dashner visited The Book Stall as he launched a new series, The Infinity Ring

From the publisher of The 39 Clues comes an alternate-history time travel adventure for readers ages 8-12. Written by a team of six best-selling and acclaimed authors, The Infinity Ring series will have books, an interactive map feature, and an online game experience.  Learn more at www.infinityring.com.  We have signed copies!!

Treat Yourself to an Afterschool Special: Appetizers and Authors

We are hosting  a "stealth" event with two debut authors: Donna Cooner, author of Skinny, and  Sharon Cameron, author of The Dark Unwinding.  This intimate low-key gathering is a way to introduce Chicago northshore bloggers, educators, and teens to two terrific books, with appetizers, conversation, and maybe a bit of reading.  It's part of our newish "Teen Reads" series of events, and those always have some prizes and giveaways, as well as great authors.  Space is limited--RSVP at 847-446-8880 or reply to this email. Please invite your students!  Friday, September 28th at 5:00 PM at The Book Stall!   Can't make it to one of these events?  Call us at 847-446-8880 to reserve an autographed copy.

Join us for a Teen Reads After Hours Pizza Party--with two Great Authors!

Our After Hours Teen Reads Fall Pizza Party features prizes, giveaways, refreshments, and TWO guest stars: Dan Krokos, author of False Memory, and Nancy Grossman, author of A World Away.  Free, but space is limited.  Call us, stop by, or reply to this email to reserve your spot.  Sunday, Sept. 30th at 5:00 PM.   Please invite your students! Can't make it to one of these events?  Call us at 847-446-8880 to reserve an autographed copy.

Meet Maggie Stiefvater, author of the Shiver Trilogy and The Scorpio Races

Maggie's new novel, The Raven Boys, is all kinds of awesome. In a starred review, Booklist said, "the book is marvelous, for not only is it filled with marvels but it is also a marvel of imagination and, more prosaically, structure. Rich, too, in characterization, this fantasy-mystery rises to the level of serious literature, leaving readers hungering for more. And more there will be, for this is the first volume of a planned quartet. Waiting for the next book in the Raven Cycle will indeed be a test of readers' patience." Tuesday, Oct. 2nd at 7 PM at The Evanston Public Library.

Coming Up:  Put these on your calendar!

Rebecca Caudill Award winner Matthew Cody, author of Powerless, celebrates his award, and new book, Super with us on Friday, Oct. 19th at 4:30 PM. Science writer Debbie Miller discusses and signs copies of her new book, Survival at 120 Above, Saturday, Oct. 6th at 2 PM at The Book Stall. Debbie will also be at The Wilmette Public Library at 7 PM on Wednesday, Oct. 3rd. Novelist Mary Amato leads a songwriting workshop and discusses her new book Guitar Notes on Sunday, Oct. 7th at 2 PM at The Book Stall. Visit our table at the Children's Book Fair in Hyde Park, Sunday, Oct. 7th from 11 until 6 pm at Nichols Park at 55th Street and Kimbark Ave in Chicago. Snoozapalooza, a Pajama Story Time featuring the The Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss--Friday, Oct. 12 at 6:30 PM at the store.  Attendees should wear their PJs and bring a studded animal buddy. Terri Murphy, illustrator of the picture book As I Went Rambling, leads an art workshop on discovering  the magic in the everyday. Saturday, Oct. 13th at 3 PM. Happy Halloween! Join us for Scary Stories for ages 4 and up on Saturday, Oct. 27th at 3 PM.  "Torchwood" and "Dr. Who" actor John Barrowman teams up with his sister Caroline Barrowman to create a new series for middle grade readers: Hollow Earth.  Meet the authors at The Skokie Public Library on Tuesday, Oct. 30th at 7 PM. Free, but register with the library, seating may be limited. If you are interested in a free author visit to your school or library by Cold Fury author T.M. Goeglein, (for grades 6-8) contact Robert McDonald at 847-446-8880, or respond to this email.   Interested in hosting authors at your school? The visits we set up are free to the schools involved.  Contact Robert McDonald at 847-446-8880 or email him at robmc1002@yahoo.com to discuss how it works!

For more news from the Book Stall

Come visit (and Like) our new and improved Facebook page!  We post a lot of our Teen Reviewer's recommendations on Facebook.

 

Heads up! It's time for ACT practice tests at The Book Stall

Join us at The Book Stall on Saturday, September 15th from 12:00 -1:30 pm for a presentation by James Giovannini and Patsy Prince, M.Ed.




 
This is a brand-new manual to help college-bound students succeed on the ACT. The emphasis is on learning by doing, with six full-length practice tests for students to determine their strengths and improve their weak areas. 



 
•    Similar in length, structure, question types, and degree of difficulty to the actual ACT
•    All test questions are answered with detailed analyses explaining why each correct answer is the right one, and why the alternatives are incorrect
•    Includes exclusive tips and strategies to help test takers attain their highest score
•    Serves as effective test preparation when used alone, and makes an ideal test prep companion when used in tandem with the current 16th edition of Barron's ACT with CD-ROM (978-0-7641-9758-1) and with Barron's ACT Flash Cards (978-1-4380-7136-7)
  
Some user reviews…

 “This is the only book I found that has the perfect strategies for each section, including pacing strategies to help me finish the test on time - especially the reading. The practice tests do a good job of mirroring the real ACT. The tests seem to really focus in on the exact type of questions asked by the ACT. I used other books earlier in the year and none of them compared to the quality of this one. It is direct and to the point. The explanations for each answer are also easy to follow, making self-study practical.”

“Finally a great and accurate resource that actually helped my sons ACT score! The learning by doing approach really helped him improve on pretty much everything he was struggling with. I can honestly say that we saw an increase in his scores over every section! This is the perfect guide to success!”

“This book was so helpful in keeping my son focused. His score went up to 31. I highly recommend it. Wish we had used it the first time he took the test.”

Read all about it... Time to go Back to School!

It's the beginning of the new school year, that time of the year we all remember so well.  Locally, today, Wednesday, is the first day of school at New Trier High School, and other area schools open next week. (At Loyola Academy, school's already in full swing.) 

Just a reminder that The Book Stall has books in stock that are on the reading lists of New Trier High School, for both the Winnetka and Northfield campuses, as well as North Shore Country Day School and Loyola Academy. We're doing a brisk business and always look forward to seeing students in the store.

We have a special display of books that prepare young readers for their first foray into academia. Some of our favorites:

Richard Scarry's Great Big Schoolhouse. For generations, the first
day of school has undoubtedly been made easier by Scarry's warm, friendly, and comforting classroom.

  

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate, illustrated by Ashley Wolff.   Miss Bindergarten gets her room ready just in time for students to arrive.   This rhyming, brightly illustrated book is the perfect way to practice the alphabet and to introduce young children to kindergarten.

Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney. On the first day of preschool, Llama Llama's Mama makes sure he meets the teachers, sees the other children, and looks at all the books and games. But when it's time for Mama to leave, he suddenly isn't so excited anymore. 

 

  

 Adventure Annie Goes to Kindergarten by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Amy Wummer. Clad in her cape, Adventure Annie barrels through her first day of kindergarten and saves two classmates who get lost on their way to retrieve the afternoon snack.

 The Night Before Preschool by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Amy Wummer.  The night before preschool, Billy is so nervous he can't fall asleep. The friends he makes the next day give him a reason not to sleep the next night, either: he's too excited about going back! 

Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz.  As Froggy leapfrogs his way to school, his exuberant

antics and sound effects reassure kids that school can be fun.

 

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A Reminder About Our August Hours

During the month of August, The Book Stall closes at 6 pm on weekdays. We'll go back to our regular 8 pm weekday closing time on September 4, the day after Labor Day (when we'll be closed).