![]() ![]() MUF: As middle-grade authors (and readers) we have to ask: what favorite titles, new and old, fiction and nonfiction, are you recommending to middle graders these days? A well-written children’s book should be just as entertaining for a grown-up as for a child, so if we like it, chances are a lot of kids will like it too. Pat: We try to carry stuff we love, we try to read as much early material as we can get, and we take the really good advice of the sales reps who sell us publisher’s lists. How do you chose what to carry in your store? MUF: It’s obvious you folks love children’s books. even thought about another branch, but the thinner you spread your flavor, the less taste there is! So, no cloning, but we’re happy to give helpful hints to others…. Pat: We’d love to expand we never have enough space to keep our books reined in! And we’ve got some fun ideas for a BIGGER kid’s section, but…. Ever consider cloning yourself? Expanding? MUF: On an urban island with a population of just under a million yours is THE independent general interest bookstore. ![]() Pat: I think the secret MAY be in staying just-big-enough to have a reasonable inventory, small enough to be quick on our feet, to make changes that we see meets the demands of our VERY discerning customers in Kailua….our biggest strength is our very very loyal customer-base. And then there’s the whole electronic book thing. MUF: Years ago when Borders opened a branch in nearby Kaneohe, many people said oh dear, what’s going to become of BookEnds? But now Border’s is nowhere to be found. ![]() Pat: We really like the shop to be a welcoming, casual, non-frightening place to keep kids ever-alert for new things and creatures who might have joined the store- even before you can read, a space with interesting things inside. MUF: Pat, please describe the unique atmosphere you have created at BookEnds. Kailua, a short trip through a mountain tunnel from Honolulu, is noted for its great beaches, but also for its charming local shops, of which BookEnds (is one.Bookends is crammed full of new and used books-a playful place for all ages, with a special interest in children’s books. Today we’re talking with Pat Banning, owner and manager of BookEnds, the only independent general interest bookstore on Honolulu’s island of Oahu.
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