A Paper Love Affair - What Does This Have to do With New York?

One of my favorite things to do is to read. As a child growing up in Yuma, AZ, playing outside in the summertime was not something you chose to do. Other than what was necessary, you stayed inside. My companions were books. I remember my mother taking me to the Yuma City Library and I would go to the Children's Department, in the basement, and check out 10-12 books per week to take home. I also loved it when we would have the book fairs. My teachers would give me an order form with colored pictures of all the books they had to offer.

I would check all the books I wanted before I got home to give to my mother. 

My mother loved me - she loved to read too and let me order every book I wanted (I think!). 

When my children entered school, and they brought home their Scholastic Book order forms, I checked all the boxes of the books I wanted my children to have. They fell in love with books too. Of course I had to read the books that we ordered - just to make sure they were appropriate. 

Because I have five daughters, we had every Babysitter Club book series, and the Goosebumps series became a favorite of my son. We had lots of paperback books at our home and never enough shelf space to hold them. 

We had hardback books too, and they were loved and well-worn as well.

So - while in NYC, five of us from our office went to attend a conference put on 

by Odyssey Networks, down in the SoHo district of NYC

(SoHo means South of Houston Street). 

The conference or "conversation" that we had there was enlightening, the luncheon was great, and the SoHo district has a long history of architecture (another love affair of mine),

great restaurants and shopping. But this post is about books.

The conference was held at the Scholastic Store - a book store! Children's books. 

The books I love and grew up with. A must see if you take children to NYC. 

For any book, the cover or illustration is what draws you into the book. 

They had the artwork from the covers of several children's books. 

One of the more recent books I have purchased is No, David! by David Shannon. 

Just looking at this illustration - can you tell what will happen?

Here are a few other framed book illustrations - do you recognize them?

Then there are displays of books and the accessories that they create for kids.
Touch it - you want to buy it! Marketing is an art form.

Leesa shows off Captain Underpants - her favorite!