On Friday, Dec. 6, bestselling author James Patterson announced the names of 500 independent booksellers who would each receive a $500 grant through his Holiday Bookstore Bonus Program in partnership with the American Booksellers Association.
Among them were 100 children’s booksellers, including Kevin Coolidge, owner of From My Shelf Books & Gifts at 7 East Ave., Wellsboro.
Patterson personally selected the winners from more than 2,500 bookstores all across the country with applications based on one question: “Why does this bookseller deserve a holiday bonus?” Nominated booksellers were praised for their perseverance, as well as for their contagious enthusiasm, skilled hand-selling, innovation and, most importantly, dedication to books and reading.
“I’ve said this many times before, but I can’t say it enough: booksellers save lives,” Patterson commented. “Children’s booksellers especially — they guide children to books they’ll genuinely enjoy and in turn create a new generation of readers. I’m happy to be able to acknowledge them and the important work they do in any way that I can this holiday season.”
In addition to selling books, Coolidge is an author. The first children’s book he wrote was about Hobo, the bookstore’s resident cat from 2006 until he died in 2014.
Between Dec. 11, 2015 and July 6, 2018, Coolidge wrote eight books in his “Totally Ninja Raccoon” series about three raccoon brothers who become ninjas. The series is written for 7 to 10-year-old reluctant readers. Coolidge also wrote “The Totally Ninja Racoon Joke Book” released in November 2018.
in July 2019, Coolidge released both “Molly, the Dog with Diabetes,” a true story about a dachshund mix that lives in Wellsboro and her journey with diabetes, and “Huck & Finn, Bookstore Cats.”
During the day, Coolidge can be found at From My Shelf Books & Gifts, the independent bookstore he runs with his wife, Kasey, along with several employees. The next book Coolidge will release is “The Totally Ninja Raccoons Discover the Lost World,” the ninth in his series.
Signed, personalized copies of all of the books Coolidge has authored are available at From My Shelf Books & Gifts in Wellsboro. For more information, call 570-724-5793 or stop in.
Kevin Coolidge holds copies of “Huck & Finn, Bookstore Cats” with Finn looking on. Photo by JOHN EATON
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