Holiday Book Drive and Christmas 2013 Catalog

We have been hard at work putting together what we think will be a great program for this holiday season. Partnering with several local charitable organizations, we will be hosting a holiday book drive to collect books for donation to those less fortunate. Interested in participating? It’s simple. If you have new or gently used books you would like to donate, please contact us or drop by our store with them. If you would like to buy books for the purpose of donating them, you can purchase from us and receive a gift certificate towards your next visit, or you can purchase elsewhere and drop them off to us.

We want to make this easy – the idea is to make books available to those who might not otherwise have access to them. We want to promote literacy, and spread a little holiday cheer at the same time. We understand not everyone has the financial ability to offer donations. If you cannot personally contribute, please consider sharing the information about our book drive program with friends and family. The more people who know about it, the more successful it will be.

Interested in contributing, but not sure what to donate? We’ve put together a catalog of holiday titles that will be sure to put smiles on the faces of those who receive them as gifts. Make sure to check out the book drive flyer and catalog below! Please feel free to contact us with any questions about the book drive program. Happy holidays!

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View this document on Scribd

 

Jonathan Smalter, Bookseller, ABAA, ILAB, IOBA
Yesterday’s Muse Books
32 W Main St Ste 1
Webster, NY 14580
585-265-9295
www.websterbookstore.com
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First Edition Dr. Seuss

Our first edition copy.

One of the perks of owning a used and collectible bookstore is having the opportunity to interact with great books. Historically important books, books that inspire nostalgic wonder, visually stunning books… books that have a meaning beyond what lies between their covers. Today I’ll feature just one of these, recently acquired: a first edition of Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book, And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street.

As we all know by now, Seuss went on to become one of the most popular and influential children’s authors of all time. His illustrations and his trademark style of verse are instantly recognizable, as are many of the creatures and contraptions from his stories. The Cat in the Hat, The Grinch, Horton – these are all household names. And to think that it all started with one 32-page long book…

What many don’t know is that this book was not an instant hit. It was rejected for publication by dozens of publishers (the exact count is different depending who you ask). Seuss almost incinerated the manuscript.

The significance of this book (and other Seuss titles) has not gone unnoticed in the collecting world. First edition copies in the (scarce) original dust jacket often have asking prices in the mid-four-figure range. There is a bibliography entirely dedicated to identification of Seuss first editions — Younger & Hirsch’s ‘First Editions of Dr. Seuss Books: A Guide to Identification’ (which, by the way, is extremely detailed and helpful – I signed copy of it has a permanent spot in my reference library).

This story in particular is a great example of the power of the imagination. The story follows a young boy named Marco, and his fantastical depiction of a series of events taking place on Mulberry Street (named for a real street located near Seuss’s boyhood home in Springfield, Massachusetts). Seuss’s colorful illustrations draw us into a world that exists only in the mind of an imaginative, imaginary child. But the book allows that unreal world to live forever, because we can each remember it in our own way, and take it with us through our own lives, returning to it when we return to memories of our own childhoods. It is truly an amazing achievement, and a reminder of how powerful books can be.

View our online listing for this title here:

And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street

or better yet, stop by the shop to see it!

Jonathan Smalter, Bookseller
President, Yesterday’s Muse Books
Vice President, IOBA
Sellers of fine books in all categories, with specialties in:
Castles & Military Fortifications; Dystopian Literature
32 W Main St Ste 1
Webster, NY 14580
Phone: (585) 265-9295
www.websterbookstore.com
www.facebook.com/yesterdaysmuse
www.twitter.com/ymbookseller
http://pinterest.com/yesterdaysmuse/
www.linkedin.com/in/yesterdaysmuse/

Our Next Event

My name is Kristine, although I don’t think I’ve been properly introduced yet. I’m Jonathan’s girlfriend and I’ll be writing on occasion to let people know what has been going on with us and what events the store has planned. I am 19 and also have a love of the written word (hence my current profession.) I was attending Nazareth College for English education and now work full time in the bookstore.

I’ve been with Jonathan going on 2 years in August and working with him for about 5 years. How time flies when you’re having fun! And by ‘fun’ I mean working all the time. 😉

When we opened the store in December we were lucky to be able to have the children’s librarian from Webster Public Library available for storytelling.  It went very well — about 15 kids showed up.

This event coming up on April 18th is also a storytelling with Gardner J. Ryan — a local author & illustrator.  He involves the children with items that have been taken right out of the pages of his stories for them to hold. For his first visit to the store he will be reading ‘Gropin and the Magic Canes’ which is an adventure story full of thrills and adventure that takes place at Mendon Ponds Park.

It would be appropriate for ages 6-10 and Gardner will be returning monthly for a series of original tales featuring all of his hand-crafted characters. Children can feel free to bring pillows for the floor. Our storyteller will be here once a month on a designated Saturday afternoon so drop on in!

Anyway, I should probably actually start doing work.. although blogging makes me feel at least partially productive.

Have a wonderful rest of your week.