Literary March Madness

I know nothing of sports. But I do know books. Which makes me very qualified to participate in my local bookstore’s Literary March Madness...thing.

Should you pick ‘em according to literary quality? Should you pick the book you think will sell the most? Or should you just guess?

What if you haven’t read all the books on the sheet; how will you pick then? I dunno. It’s just fun. In this round, it’s a no-brainer. Conroy’s over-the-top Southern melodrama beats Larsson’s over-the-top Swedish melodrama.

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Funny Man, Funny Book

Pal o’ mine Jack Silbert celebrates his birthday today. He is perhaps best known for lots of hilarious posts on the Internet, but I like to bring his book, Santa in Space, to the attention of all who want to know the truth behind our beloved mythical fat man. At $3.29, it’s a steal. And hey, Christmas is only about 270 days away...

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Fleeting Fibonacci!

Spring has sprung here at Casa Fibonooch. Greeting me this weekend from the cherry tree in the front yard were these fragile, beautiful 5-petal flowers. They'll last a week at most, then disappear until next spring.

Oh, fleeting spring! Oh, evanescent Fibonacci!

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DynaMath’s Blockhead Contest

I used to be editor of a children’s math magazine called DynaMath, which is published by Scholastic Inc. You might say that’s how I got into the math biz, and kindled my love of math in odd places.

I’m pleased to see that the magazine is running an excerpt of Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci in its upcoming March 2011 issue. Students have the chance to enter a sweepstakes to win one of 25 copies of the book that I will personally autograph.

Teachers can find out more about the contest rules here and about the magazine itself here. DynaMath really is a wonderful resource for students in math classrooms, well worth the money.

If you are a teacher, parent, librarian, or school administrator who is concerned about funding for another math resource, follow this link for suggestions on how to locate money for your school. Click on “New Funding” to learn how DynaMath qualifies for funding opportunities such as Title I.

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Check out the new Blockhead DVD

Spoken Arts, a very creative film production company, has produced an adorable audiobook and DVD based on Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci.

The DVDs are intended for classroom use, so kids can read along with the audiobook or watch the animated story of Leonardo as he embarks on his adventures in mathematics.

Both the audiobook and the DVD come with licenses for public performance, which means you can play it for large classrooms. (By comparison, the DVDs you buy or rent at your local video store can only be played in your living room, and scary men show up at your door if you try to play them for large groups.)

I was blown away by the quality of these new Blockhead products. The cities of Pisa and Bugia, not to mention Leonardo himself, all seem to come to life with music, animation, and voice acting.

I want to see these products reach as many classrooms as possible, so I’m making the following limited-time offer: Anyone who books a classroom visit will receive as part of their package an autographed copy of Blockhead and a copy of the Blockhead DVD. 

I am now also asking a $50 donation for any Skype visits booked from now on. The cost of a signed copy of Blockhead and a Blockhead DVD are included in the cost for a Skype visit. Any monies left over after shipping are donated to the Fibonacci Giving Project, which benefits Heifer International.

I do not make any money on classroom Skype visits. It is a wholly charitable venture. For teachers and schools, this is a great deal. The DVD alone is typically priced at $50, so this is a great way to build your classroom library with books and beautifully produced media.

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The Fountainhead Bookstore, Hendersonville, NC

Valerie (l) and her daughter Melise.

For a short time, I lived in the quaint town of Hendersonville, North Carolina, whose Main Street is chock full of adorable shops. One of those was a bookstore. That shop is now under new management, and I’m happy to have been invited to speak at The Fountainhead Bookstore in February. I’ll post reminders closer to the date, but I’m pleased to share this short interview with Valerie Wellbourn, the shop’s bookseller. Here’s my chat with Valerie.

Can you tell us about The Fountainhead Bookstore?

We have an eclectic selection, including a Children’s Section for the very young up to age 8 and a Tween Section. Customers tell us that we have a wonderful selection within each genre. We try to be a place where bookworms feel welcome and get social opportunities to meet other bookworms.

How did you become a bookseller?

I was a land surveyor for many years, believe it or not. In December of 2009 the local bookstore on Main Street had gone out of business.  I was actually looking for just such an opportunity, and as a book lover myself had gotten tired of always driving to the nearest big city, Asheville, for book shopping and book clubs.  I opened the kind of bookstore that I had always wished for in our town.

 What are some of your favorite books for kids? 

A few of my favorite picture books are: Blockhead (of course), pop-ups like Flanimals or the new Harry Potter pop-up book. One Red Dot is awesome, Of Thee I Sing is a great new one, and Children Make Terrible Pets is very funny.  I like the concept of Beautiful Oops! very much. I could go on and on.

Why do you think you so many people love the shop?

Customers tell us that they really appreciate the ambience, our helpfulness, and the friendly atmosphere.  Plus, they can find certain books here that are hard to find anywhere else.

Why should people support independent bookstore over chains or online stores?

Just remember, Amazon nor Kindle will never, ever host your favorite author.  Nor will they ever host a book club. If local indie stores disappear, all you’re likely to be offered in the future are mainstream books (which are not bad in and of themselves, but your choices will be limited). 

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The Fountainhead Bookstore will host my talk on February 19, starting at 3 PM. The store is located at 408 North Main Street, Hendersonville, NC.

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Thank you, Books of Wonder!

Illustrator John O’Brien and I recently appeared for the very first time together at a book signing event at the legendary Books of Wonder bookstore in New York City.

The event introduced the audience to five new picture book biographies. Among them were books about Ella Fitzgerald, John F. Kennedy, Jimi Hendrix, Dave the Potter, and of course, Leonardo Fibonacci.

It was a special event for us because John and I had never met during the two years we worked together on the book. It was also great to see old friends from New York City who I have not been able to see in a long time, since I no longer live in the region.

The Books of Wonder link containing descriptions of all the books is here. Doing a group event like this is a fun and low-stress way to learn about great children’s books. I’d highly recommend this format to other bookstores. I left with a number of the other books myself.

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Watch Our Fibonacci Book Trailer!

I’m proud to unveil the book trailer for Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci, just in time for the big math teachers conference this week. It’s a charming piece of animation, for which I can claim no credit.

My wife Denise put it together using images from the book and the voice talents of some young neighbors of ours. The result is very cute and lively.

We are especially fond of the music and the image manipulation. I’ll be showing it off in California to some young readers at the Yellow Book Road Bookstore, and I’ll let you know how it fares. Right now, it’s the funnest thing in the house.

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Yellow Book Road Bookstore, San Diego

Booksellers David and Ann Diener operate Yellow Book Road, the best-known children’s bookstore in the San Diego area. The shop was voted the No. 1 Bookstore in San Diego two years running. Needless to say, the store is an independent, mom-and-pop operation, just the sort of store my brothers and I used to patronize as kids when we used our paper route money to buy books. I’m proud to say that David and Ann will be hosting me for a reading and book signing for Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci on April 24 at 2 p.m. The store is located at 7200 Parkway Drive, Suite 118, La Mesa, CA, 91942. Here’s my chat with Ann.

Can you tell us about The Yellow Book Road?

The Yellow Book Road began in 1986. Two teachers who were wild about children’s books began the store, which later moved to downtown La Mesa into its own building. Over the years the original owners became very well known in the area of children’s literature and gave workshops and seminars on the topic. After twenty years in the business, these two women decided to sell the store. Two young teachers bought the store and moved it to its present location. With the economy in a recession, plus raising young kids of their own, these two young teachers felt they needed to give up their dream and sold the store to us in September 2009. 

How did you two become booksellers of children's books only?

The store has always been a children’s bookstore—that was the original focus and intent. There is a need for a store for children’s literature with professional, knowledgeable staff advising customers on the full range and depth of children’s media from infant to young adult. We have a motto at The Yellow Book Road —“We know kids and we know books!”

Do you remember visiting bookshops when you were a kid?

I don’t remember spending much time in bookstores as a child but I spent many hours in the public library. I have always read and have always loved books.

What are some of your favorite books for kids? 

I remember that The Cat in the Hat was the first book I ever read to myself without any help. Because I clearly remember this, it must be a favorite. I also remember reading Black Beauty over and over as well as a collection of fairy tales on my own bookshelf. I devoured Anne of Green Gables and all of the Louisa May Alcott books. A Wrinkle in Time was my first science fiction book and I actually liked it! There are too many books to discuss, but I could talk on and on about children’s books.

You have been voted San Diego's #1 Bookstore in 2008 and 2009. Why do you think you so many people love the shop?

The staff at the book store has always been the reason people come to The Yellow Book Road. We hire teachers and librarians and those just crazy about children’s books. We feel we offer professional service to anyone who comes in and wants a good book. Teachers come here for their classroom collections and grandmas come for books for their grandkids. Each customer can trust the advice and help from our qualified staff.

Can you tell us what book events are like at The Yellow Book Road? 

We have had several book events that we have been involved with since September. Writers and illustrators the caliber of John Scieszka, David Shannon, and Jack Prelutsky have appeared at the store.  Most of the events during the school year are during the day so that classes can come from schools because we believe that the magic starts when an author and their books are introduced to children. Literacy is an important component of our mission and when an author shares the words from their own pages, the stories come to life. Often for a very famous author, we have standing-room-only. There are times when we’ve had lesser known authors who have shared their stories with a more intimate crowd and I hope the enjoyment is just the same. 

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See you at Educators Outlet, Booth 341!

When I worked for the children’s math magazine Scholastic DynaMath, one of the year’s highlights was the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). I used to enjoy wandering the exhibit hall at the conference, checking out the various cool new educational math products.

One of the perennial favorites was the mail order company Educators Outlet, which would often feature book signings of authors promoting new math-themed children’s books. I’m proud to say that Educators Outlet will be sponsoring my signing at this year’s conference in San Diego.

Educators, a Colorado firm, has been attending NCTM conference for 15 years. Today we talk to Gary Otto, Educators Outlet’s VP of Business Development.

I’ll be signing books at the table in their Booth 341, on Friday, April 23, 2010, 11 to 12 noon. If you’re a teacher who is scheduled to attend the NCTM conference, I hope you will stop by. If you’re attending a session during that block of time, I hope you’ll stop by right after. I’ll try to stick around as long as they’ll let me, and as long as people still want copies of Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci. (Educators, by the way, is offering the book at a special price on its website.)

Welcome, Gary. What can you tell us about Educators Outlet? 

Educators Outlet started business in 1994 as a catalog company.  Since then we have added sales representatives and a website. We specialize in math manipulatives, but also carry a complete line of math, language arts and science materials. 

Where are you based and how many employees do you have? 

We are based in Fort Collins, Colorado and have 20+ employees. 

 Who buys from you?  

We have a wide range of customers that buy from us from teachers, school districts, and homeschoolers to parents and grandparents.  We welcome orders from everyone.

Why do teachers get from you folks that they can't get at a bookstore in their own neighborhoods?

We have a wide range of math, science, and language arts manipulatives that are not usually sold at book stores.  We also have custom book kits with exclusive activity guides and the option of adding corresponding manipulatives to the kit.  We have a wide variety of literature books with a math theme that you can’t always find in your neighborhood big box bookstore.  Our customer service department is very attentive to our customers. 

How many years have you been going to NCTM? 

We have been going to the NCTM convention for over 15 years.  We sell in our national booth and bring a wide variety of our best-selling books, including new titles that just became available.

 What are some of your hottest math books for teachers right now?  

The Sir Cumference series is a good seller, Centipede’s 100 Shoes, Pigs Will Be Pigs series, MathStart series, Math Matters book series for literature books and Faster Isn’t Smarter and From Reading to Math for teacher resource books are good sellers. 

What other fun things can you tell us about Educators Outlet?  

We started the business in a garage in Okoboji, Iowa.  We actually answer the telephone during normal business hours; you won’t get a machine unless all lines are busy. 

 Are you a big book fan? 

I don’t get much time to read books, other than on airplanes going to conferences. 

What do you like reading? 

I like to read John Grisham’s books. 

What do you like doing when you're not reading?  

When I am not reading, I am working or playing with my twin boys and daughter.

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