When thinking about your local bookstore, what comes to mind? Is it a familiar friendly face greeting you as you walk in? Is it a sense of comfort and calm? There is a simple magic to independent bookstores, and they’re a refuge for many in the neighborhoods they serve, playing an important role in benefitting the community. Local independent bookstores are vital pillars in the community. Writer’s Digest states that unlike big chain stores, “Independent bookstores directly serve the community and the individual. Their contributions are invaluable… Independent bookstores support core values of community, creativity, convening, civility, and contact.” They provide a place to connect with like-minded individuals and to feel recognized in a world where we often feel like just another face in the crowd, a safe haven of comfort in our ever more fast-paced world. Booksellers at indie bookstores focus on personalized service for each individual and fostering longstanding relationships with people in the community. The Reader’s Loft, an independent bookstore in Green Bay, Wisconsin, has a mission statement that says, “Our goal at the Reader’s Loft is to create an atmosphere where people can come together to browse the shelves in search of something not yet known, to meet in our gathering space to discuss the latest book club pick, to hear poetry performed by our area’s fellowship of poets, or to meet a favorite author. We invite you to get lost in the stacks, to connect, and to grow.” Thomas A. Lyons Fine Books in Neenah,…

Larry Scheckel’s new book, I Just Keep Wondering: 121 Questions and Answers About Science and Stuff, was released by Tumblehome Learning earlier this month.  This is the third in his I Always Wondered Series. Tumblehome Learning is a leading publisher of science books for children. Their books inspire readers to learn more about nature and the world around them. They help kids imagine themselves as young scientists or engineers and encourage them to experience science through adventure and self-guided discovery. In this volume, Scheckel answers questions you’ve probably pondered. Why can’t you tickle yourself? Why do water droplets dance on a hot pan?  Where does the light go when you turn off the switch? This sequel to I Always Wondered About That and I Wondered About That Too will educate and entertain readers ages 12 and up. “Assorted revelations for enquirers who prefer their science straight up but not without occasional (semi-) comical relief.” —Kirkus Reviews Larry Scheckel grew up on a family farm in the hill country of southwestern Wisconsin, one of nine children. He attended eight years of a one-room country school. After serving in the military and working as an engineer, he taught high school physics and aeronautics for 38 years. Now retired from teaching, Larry enjoys bicycling, flying real and radio-controlled airplanes, and solving crossword puzzles. Larry and his wife, Ann, live in Tomah, Wisconsin, and love to travel.    

For twelve years, the Fox Cities Book Festival has been connecting writers and readers of all ages and interests, and this year the festival will take place over the week of October 7-13. Different this year compared to previous festivals, “Each day, a different Fox Cities community will become the focus of the festival with all, or most of the events taking place in one location,” states their website. This means no competing events and no rushing across the Fox Valley to get to the next event. Instead, festival attendees can sit back and relax without having to worry about too much travel time. The headliner for this year’s festival is Elizabeth Letts, “the #1 New York Times bestselling author of both historical fiction and non-fiction.” She will be at the Lawrence Memorial Chapel on October 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. to discuss writing her newest novel, Finding Dorothy. “This richly imagined novel tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum’s intrepid wife, Maud,” reads the book’s description. Find out more about Elizabeth Letts and her event at the Fox Cities Book Festival here. No matter what your favorite genre is or how old you are, Fox Cities Book Festival has something for you. Hone your writing skills at a workshop, enjoy a reading or performance by authors from every genre, get advice on publishing and writing craft, and attend a presentation…