Bibliobar bookstore will host a grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting on April 26, Independent Bookstore Day, in the store's new location at 1018 E 15th St., Plano, Tex. The festivities will include author signings, live music, tarot readings, and refreshments. 

Bibliobar owner Chelsea Tresp

"We are thrilled to officially open our doors on Independent Bookstore Day," said owner Chelsea Tresp. "This celebration embodies our mission to connect readers with authors and create a welcoming space for all book lovers in Plano and the surrounding area."

Tresp's first book business job was at Barnes & Noble, where she worked for seven years between Texas and New York, the Dallas Observer reported, adding that she subsequently worked at HarperCollins, "where she moved up the ranks for four years and experienced the publishing landscape firsthand."

Bibliobar began as an online and pop-up bookshop in 2017. In 2023, Tresp opened the Plano Shopping Co-Op in downtown Plano with her sister-in-law, selling books on the second floor while vintage clothes were sold on the first. Although the co-op closed in April 2024, Tresp wanted a permanent home for her bookshop.

"It was kind of hard to find us," she said. "There was a lot of convincing people to come upstairs."

Earlier this year, she found a prime location. Bibliobar had a soft opening a few weeks ago. The Observer noted that the owner is "still organizing shelves during most open hours. For this initial wave of customers, Tresp has been taking suggestions for her inventory.... There's a small lounge area set up in the back of Bibliobar, perfect for an eventual bar or mini tattoo parlor."

"It's so easy to just go on Amazon and click a button," she said. "But I think people are really wanting third places where they can go and sit and hang out."

(l.-r.) Christopher Myers, Jacqueline Woodson, Nikole Hannah-Jones.

We Need Diverse Books' "Stories Save Lives" celebration, honoring 10 years of the Walter Awards and of WNDB, took place at the Whittemore House in Washington, D.C., yesterday evening. Featured speakers included Representative Ayanna Pressley, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, and authors Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Christopher Myers. Artwork from illustrators such as Mo Willems, Cece Bell, Vashti Harrison, and LeUyen Pham was auctioned off to help WNDB prepare for the next 10 years of celebrating and promoting diverse and representative books for children and teens.

Andrew Smith is joining the Walker Books Group as senior v-p, publisher of Candlewick Press, Holiday House, and Peachtree for the Walker Books Group in the U.S., effective April 28. In his new role, Smith will report to WBG president and publisher Belinda Ioni Rasmussen and become a member of the global leadership team based out of the New York office. He will manage the publishing lists at Candlewick, Holiday House, and Peachtree following the departures of other longtime editors across the three houses.

Andrew Smith

Smith is leaving his current role as senior v-p and publisher of Abrams Children's Books and is returning to Candlewick nearly two decades after previously serving as v-p of sales there. He has spent his career in the children's publishing industry. Before joining Abrams in 2016, he was the senior v-p and deputy publisher at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. He started his career as a bookseller and assistant manager at Waldenbooks in Brooklyn, N.Y. Smith currently serves on the board of directors of the Children's Book Council.

"I've followed Andrew's career for years and have consistently been impressed by everything he's achieved," Rasmussen said. "At Abrams he's delivered results in a challenging marketplace through a thoughtful, strategic, and visionary approach. I am excited about Andrew's bringing that same leadership and inspiration to our publishing at Candlewick, Holiday House, and Peachtree, taking it to new heights. I'm also thrilled to welcome him to the Walker Books Group leadership team at a very exciting time as we gear up for growth."

Smith commented: "I'm thrilled and honored to join the amazingly talented group at Candlewick Press, Holiday House, and Peachtree. I've long admired their commitment to the creative vision of their authors, illustrators, and partners. Their stellar lists and focus and dedication to publishing beautiful, inclusive, and popular books have enriched the lives of countless kids and teens. I look forward to working with the teams in this exciting role to continue to grow, innovate, and reach all kinds of readers in new and groundbreaking ways."

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has selected B&N College as its new campus bookstore provider, replacing Follett. The transition will take effect in July. 

"We are pleased to welcome Barnes & Noble College to BraveNation," said Gabriel Eszterhas, vice-chancellor for finance and administration. "Their proven track record, focus on student experience and wide array of services will help enhance the campus bookstore and support our ongoing efforts to promote student success." 

B&N College, which serves more than 770 colleges and universities nationwide, will manage textbook services, course materials, spirit gear, and other merchandise. 

Jean Van Leeuwen, an award-winning children's book author "whose popular characters included the wholesome siblings Oliver and Amanda Pig and an adventurous, cocksure mouse named Marvin the Magnificent," died March 3, the New York Times reported. She was 87.

Van Leeuwen wrote almost 60 books, from picture books to YA fiction. Her 20 works about an anthropomorphic pig family began with Tales of Oliver Pig, illustrated by Arnold Lobel (1979). She followed that with More Tales of Oliver Pig (1981) and Amanda Pig and Her Big Brother (1982), then continued for almost three decades, ending with Amanda Pig and the Wiggly Tooth, illustrated by Ann Schweninger.

Van Leeuwen had written a few books before her children were born in the early 1970s, but "observing their everyday behavior inspired her to tap out a series of short stories on her portable typewriter about a little boy and girl. She turned them into animal children and then, specifically, into pigs," the Times wrote.

In an interview, David Gavril said his mother was "very observant" and had most likely been taking notes "very discreetly" about the lives of him and his sister, Elizabeth Gavril, who noted: "I don't recall being surprised that the characters were pigs. It's a universal thing in children's publishing that animals can have human characteristics."

Schweninger, whose watercolors illustrated 18 of the 20 Oliver and Amanda books, recalled that over time "the stories became a little broader than the early ones when her children were at home.... They were growing up, their activity levels increased and they were going to school."

Van Leeuwen won the American Library Association's Theodor Seuss Geisel Award in 2006 for Amanda Pig and the Really Hot Day, and received a Washington Irving Children's Book Choice Award from the Westchester Library System in 1996 for Emma Bean, illustrated by Juan Wijngaard. 

After earning a bachelor's degree in 1959 from the Syracuse University School of Journalism (now the Newhouse School of Public Communications), Van Leeuwen wrote for TV Guide and became a children's book editor in 1963. She worked for Random House, Viking Press, and Dial Books for Young Readers for 10 years until her daughter was born, the Times noted.

Phyllis Fogelman, a former president of Dial Books for Young Readers who was the author's boss before becoming her editor, said in 1995 that Van Leeuwen's "pitch is always perfect" and that "Jean has a deft touch with characterizations."

Her other books include The Great Cheese Conspiracy (1969), The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper (1975), The Great Rescue Operation (1982), Benjy and the Power of Zingies (1982), Seems Like This Road Goes On Forever (1979), and Across the Wide Dark Sea: The Mayflower Journey (1995).

For many years, Van Leeuwen volunteered at the elementary school in Chappaqua, N.Y., which her children had attended, helping first graders with their writing, the Times noted. Elizabeth Gavril recalled: "They didn't know her as an author; they knew her as Mrs. Gavril. At the end of the year, they were told that Jean Van Leeuwen, whose books they'd been reading, would be speaking to the class. Then came the surprise reveal--that it was Mrs. Gavril."

This past Wednesday, Shelf Awareness sent our new Kids & YA Pre-Order E-Blast to more than 200,000 of the country's best book readers. The e-blast went to 207,985 customers of 37 participating independent bookstores.

The mailing features four upcoming titles selected by Shelf Awareness editors and three advertised titles, one of which is a sponsored feature. Customers can buy these books via "pre-order" buttons that lead directly to the purchase page for the title on each sending store's website. A key feature is that bookstore partners can easily change title selections to best reflect the tastes of their customers and can customize the mailing with links, images, and promotional copy of their own.

The pre-order e-blasts are sent the second Wednesday of each month; the next will go out on Wednesday, May 14. This is a free service for indies. Stores interested in learning more can visit our program registration page or contact our partner program team via e-mail.

Ad spots are also available in the Kids & YA Pre-Order E-Blast. For more information contact sales@shelf-awareness.com for details.

For a sample of the March Kids & YA Pre-Order E-Blast, see this one from the Book Jewel, Los Angeles, Calif.

The titles highlighted in the pre-order e-blast were:

J vs. K by Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi (Storytide/HarperCollins Children's Books)
The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner (Bloomsbury)
Papa Doesn't Do Anything by Jimmy Fallon, illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez (Feiwel & Friends)

WORD Bookstore, Brooklyn, N.Y., hosted Norwegian explorer, philosopher, and writer Erling Kagge (r.) for his memoir, After the North Pole (HarperOne), which details his historic 58-day journey to the North Pole on skis. He was in conversation with actor Timothy Hutton.

Vintage Bookstore & Wine Bar, Austin, Tex., shared a video titled "Things you should never do while a customer is waiting" on Instagram, noting: "If you've ever seen us filming a reel... no you haven't."

"We love love. Congratulations Tatum & Emma!" Lost and Bound Books, Oklahoma City, Okla., posted on Facebook.

"Reading in springtime makes the mind blossom." That was the sidewalk chalkboard message in front of A Book Place, Riverhead, N.Y.

The Middle School Survival Guide for Girls: The Inside Scoop on Dealing with School, Friends, Emotions, and Other Big, Big Changes by Geraldine O'Sullivan (New Harbinger Publications).

Brandon Camp (Benji, Love & Gelato) will direct Wishbone, a movie adaptation of Barbara O'Connor's bestselling 2016 children's novel, Wish, Deadline reported. Camp is also producing the film alongside Sustainable Imagination's Jon Levin (Marshall), Mike the Pike Entertainment's Rich Angell and Mark B. Newbauer, Riverside Entertainment's Brian Loschiavo (Manodrome), and Scott Emmer (Mr. Mercedes). Joey Clarke Jr. wrote the script.

"At its heart," Camp said, "Wishbone is a story about hope, faith, and unexpected connection. Charlie's journey is one that so many--kids and adults alike--will see themselves in, and I'm thrilled to bring her world to life in a way that honors the heart of Barbara O'Connor's beloved novel."

The winners of the $50,000 Whiting Awards, sponsored by the Whiting Foundation and given to 10 emerging writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama, are:

Liza Birkenmeier (drama)
Elwin Cotman (fiction)
Emil Ferris (fiction)
Samuel Kọ́láwọlé (fiction)
Claire Luchette (fiction)
Karisma Price (poetry)
Aisha Sabatini Sloan (nonfiction)
Shubha Sunder (fiction)
Sofi Thanhauser (nonfiction)
Annie Wenstrup (poetry)

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The shortlist has been selected for the 2025 Stella Prize, awarded to "the most excellent, original and outstanding book written by an Australian woman or non-binary writer." The winner will be announced May 23.

The shortlist:

The Burrow by Melanie Cheng
Cactus Pear for My Beloved by Samah Sabawi
Black Convicts: How Slavery Shaped Australia by Santilla Chingaipe
Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser
Black Witness: The Power of Indigenous Media by Amy McQuire
Translations by Jumaana Abdu

Chair of judges Astrid Edwards said, "This year's shortlist is consequential for Australian literary history, as it is the first time the Stella Shortlist features only women of colour. Now in its 13th year, these works showcase an incredible command of craft and understanding of our uncertain time. These works are riveting, and they stood out to the judging panel for their integrity, compassion and fearlessness."

photo: Robyn Kanner

Kevin Nguyen is a novelist and journalist living in Brooklyn, N.Y. His debut, New Waves, was named one of the best books of the year by NPR, Parade, Kirkus, and others. His second novel, Mỹ Documents (One World, April 8, 2025), is a most-anticipated book by Rolling Stone, Bookpage, and LitHub. It centers on the paths of four family members and how they diverge drastically when the U.S. government begins detaining Vietnamese Americans. He is a features editor at the Verge and has written for the New York Times, New York magazine, the Atlantic, and more.

Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:

Mỹ Documents imagines a modern-day echo of Japanese internment and how a family copes with separation and the line between survival and selfishness.

On your nightstand now:

I just finished Olga Tokarczuk's terrific Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead, so I need to put that on the bookshelf. I'm also reading Adam Higginbotham's deep history of a tragedy, Challenger, which so far feels worthy of every accolade it has received. (I'll be surprised if this doesn't get a Pulitzer nod.) I also just started Ling Ling Huang's novel Immaculate Conception, which so far is a twistily structured send-up of the art world.

Your top five authors:

I'll pick a few contemporary authors and the book of theirs I would start with: Annie Proulx (Close Range), Colson Whitehead (The Intuitionist), Mieko Kawakami (Breasts and Eggs), John McPhee (Oranges), Bryan Washington (Memorial).

Book you've faked reading:

I can't recall a specific book, but you can fake reading nearly anything by saying, "Oh yeah, it's so good." (pause for a beat) "A little long, though."

Book you're an evangelist for:

The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris. A very moving family story about the limits of what we'll sacrifice for our loved ones; it's also, structurally, very deft. I actually met the author once--he was quite rude--and I still throw this book at people. That's how accomplished it is.

Book you've bought for the cover:

I must be in an anti-cover mode right now because I've been picking a lot of books up from Fitzcarraldo Editions--their simple blue paperbacks suggest nothing, and I've liked going into a story completely cold.

Book you hid from your parents:

Honestly, I think my parents ask me more about what I'm reading now than when I was a kid. That said, I would absolutely never tell them about Tony Tulathimutte's brilliant and perverted story collection Rejection. Same for Halle Butler's mean and sly novel Banal Nightmare.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt. A coming-of-age novel about language that almost feels foreign at first blush. (Although some of it is literally foreign.) It takes a bit of patience, since this book has to first teach you how life operates inside of it. I wish I could relearn that all over again.

Book your parents recommended to you:

From my dad, Thi Bui's graphic memoir The Best We Could Do; from my mom, Kazuo Ishiguro's contemporary classic Never Let Me Go.

Book that got you out of a reading funk:

Like a lot of people, I had a reading pause during the pandemic. (Sort of ironic, since I'd never had more time to sit around and read?) But Hilary Leichter's Temporary was the compelling and very funny debut novel that got me back into rhythm.

Book you wish was back in print:

Peter Earley and Gerald Shur's WITSEC, an extraordinary and revealing dive into the founding of the witness protection program. It reads like a thriller. Thankfully, used copies are plentiful.

Book that helped you understand this moment:

Kathleen Belew's Bring the War Home connects the end of the Vietnam War with the rise of white supremacy. I suspect a lot of people believe this political moment is particularly fraught--I agree--but there's some comfort in understanding how things got this way, and recognizing that it took five decades to arrive here.

The dozen meticulously crafted short stories in National Book Award finalist Karen E. Bender's The Words of Dr. L and Other Stories speculate about the near future, reflect on the recent past, and imagine an alternative present.

Bender (Refund) dives deeply into family dynamics and also extends her exploration outward to the community. Readers may be tempted to connect the title story with the present-day challenges of ending a pregnancy, except for the narrator's mission to connect with Dr. L and learn the top-secret words--rather than a medical solution--that will keep her child-free: the doctor tells her "the exact words, said in the correct way, to create the result needed." Bender balances this futuristic element with the protagonist's memories of her relationship with her own mother, and also with the woman who was once her best friend, now preoccupied with motherhood. "The Hypnotist" mines the dynamics of a father-daughter relationship, and how an aging father makes use of pandemic boundaries in an attempt to conceal from his daughter his own fragility. The erection of 80-foot walls in "Messengers" was supposed to keep a community safe: "After a lifetime of drills, disaster had finally arrived, but not as we predicted, not from outside our walls."

Despite a premonition of disaster in many of Bender's riveting selections, an atmosphere of gentleness envelops her characters. They yearn for connection. In "The Shame Exchange," the government issues a mandate in which citizens "who held too much shame," so that it "interfered with their productivity," would hand off their shame to "a government official who had none." The citizens could now acknowledge that these officials, now burdened with shame, "needed to be treated with a bit of tenderness." The woman in "Helicopter," remembering how she "had stolen a pack of berries from the too-slow grasp of the old man" at the supermarket to make a strawberry birthday cake, later imagines what might have transpired if she'd shared them with him, "in a tender moment of communion." The judge who narrates "The Court of the Invisible" learns that revealing the thing she is most afraid of is also the secret to achieving a sense of belonging.

In Bender's investigation of isolation and community, parents and children, friends and seeming enemies, these 12 stories allow readers a wide lens through which to both contemplate world events and what may lay ahead--and to consider the vital role of compassion when weighing one's choices. --Jennifer M. Brown

Shelf Talker: In these beautifully crafted dozen stories, a National Book Award finalist examines the recent past and near future, and the choices human beings make in order to be in community with one another.