Since 1983, the Women’s National Book Association has awarded one of the most prestigious honors in children’s bookselling. 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 in their young patrons.
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. This year’s nominees are:
| General Bookstore | Children’s Specialty Store |
| Avid Book Shop, Athens, GA | Books and Cookies, Santa Monica, CA |
| Byrd’s Books, Bethel, CT | 4 Kids Books & Toys, Zionsville, IN |
| Nicola’s Books, Ann Arbor, MI | Hooray for Books, Alexandria, VA |
| Newtonville Books, Newtonville, MA | The Bookbug, Kalamazoo, MI |
| Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA | The Voracious Reader, Larchmont, NY |
| Main Street Books, Davidson, NC | Children’s Book World, Los Angeles, CA |
| Vroman’s Bookstore, Pasadena, CA | |
| Park Road Books, Charlotte, NC |
The nominated store puts together an electronic submission with a description of activities, goals, or any contribution to the local community that involves young people and books. Photos, media coverage, letters from customers, or anything else that transmits the degree of contribution can be included in the submission. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2013.
The Pannell Award jurors for 2013 are:
- Cheryl Willis Hudson, vice president and editorial director of Just Us Books
- Andrew Karre, editorial director of Carolrhoda, an imprint of the Lerner Publishing Group
- Lisa von Drasek, curator of Children’s Literature Research Collections, Univ. of Minnesota
- Emma D. Dryden, children’s editorial and publishing consultant, Dryden Books
- Kelli Chipponeri, executive editor/children’s, Chronicle Books
The jurors will make their decision by late April, and a phone call will notify the winners, as well as all stores sending submissions. Each of the two winners will receive a $1,000 check and a framed signed original piece of art by a children’s illustrator. The presentation of the award will be in New York at the BEA/ABA Children’s Book and Author Breakfast, which draws more than 1,000 attendees.
