Main Street Gives Back

Close to 140 independent bookstores across the country are hosting Main Street Gift-Wrap parties this month, thanks to the generosity of Scholastic, Inc., the publisher of Ann M. Martin's Main Street series. Scholastic partnered with the American Booksellers Association to offer member bookstores 25 books, wrapping materials, and announcement posters for holiday book donation events to benefit charities of the bookseller's choice.

In addition, to mark the publication of 'Tis the Season, the third book in the Main Street series, Scholastic provided booksellers with materials for three hands-on activities for children and parents to be used at in-store events or as giveaways.

The littlest wrapper and her mom with the cart of gifts at Bookstore Plus.

Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid, New York, held its Main Street Gift-Wrap Party this past weekend. "It went great," said owner Sarah Galvin. "Customers were excited that the books were donated to us and that we were donating them to a local charity, the North Elba Christmas Fund. They were pleased to help wrap and see that the presents stayed in the community."

Galvin noted that among the participants was a mother-and-son wrapping team. "The son was a seventh- or eighth-grader, so it was not the coolest thing he could be seen doing," she said. "I was very proud of him."

Galvin said Bookstore Plus made a party of the event with customers lingering for conversation, cookies, and hot chocolate.

"The presents looked beautiful," Galvin added. "Scholastic had given us blue paper with silver-and-white snowflakes and silver curling ribbon. They came out looking very nice. Everyone got into the holiday spirit of giving back." Noting that the donated books ranged in age-appropriateness from babies up to YA," Galvin said, "I was just thrilled by Scholastic's very generous donation. I know there are always families in need, and I was glad we could give them the books."

Books 'N' More in Wilmington, Ohio, is holding its Main Street Gift-Wrap Party on Friday, December 14. The store's staff will be working with kids from the local high school to wrap the books, which are being donated to The Ho-Ho Shop, a local charity. "I think it's a wonderful event," said Marla Stewart. "It's just a good way to make people aware of what some of the publishers are doing for communities, and it's a nice way to emphasize Ann Martin's series." Stewart added that she expects the event to garner press coverage from the local newspaper.

Robin Buckingham and daughter Brianne Kuhle, co-owners of Lindon Bookstore, are inviting local third- and fourth-graders and their parents to their Enumclaw, Washington, bookstore for a Main Street Gift-Wrap Party on Saturday, December 15. "We think it's a great opportunity to be a bigger part of the community than we already are, and to help provide great books," said Buckingham.

Buckingham and Kuhle will serve hot apple cider and Christmas cookies to their gift-wrapping customers.

Lindon Bookstore will also be donating some books of their own to the gift-wrapping effort, including titles from Martin's Main Street series. "We'll play games and have giveaways," Buckingham told BTW. "We'll do some of the activity suggestions sent along by Scholastic. They sent a reproducible family tree that can be filled out. We'll have that available." The books will be donated to the Plateau Outreach Ministries, a local organization providing gifts to needy families. --Karen Schechner