Where's Waldo? He's at Fox's Pizza

This July, you can find Waldo getting eating pizza at Fox's Pizza on Charleston Street, formerly Terry's Hoagies. You can get a Fox's pizza when you are hunting for Waldo, or still get a great Terry's sub. They bought the recipe!

Where's Waldo? In Wellsboro Pennsylvania. For the seventh year running, Indie Bookstores Launch a Massive Cross Country Campaign to Promote the Shop Local Message in July.

This July, From My Shelf Books & Gifts is joining a nationwide celebration of the Shop Local movement and the iconic children’s book character, Where’s Waldo, who recently celebrated his birthday.

Brought back by popular demand for the seventh year in a row, indie bookstores across the country will be hosting Find Waldo scavenger hunts while spreading the "Buy Local" message in their cities and towns.

It’s a month-long scavenger hunt for Waldo hosted by 250 indie bookstores across the nation in July 2018. Participating bookstores champion the Shop Local message by enlivening downtown areas with a community-wide scavenger hunt activity to which everyone — kids, parents, and Waldo-lovers of all ages — is invited to participate.

On July 1, 2018, Waldo-spotters will set off on a hunt to find the elusive character hidden around dozens of downtown businesses in Wellsboro. Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a Find Waldo passport at a participating business and collect a store stamp or signature for each Waldo they spot. Hundreds of Waldo spotters will be eligible for prizes.

Where's Waldo? He's At the Frog Hut in Wellsboro

You can find Waldo at Wellsboro's Frog Hut. The Frog Hut is one of the many businesses hosting Where's Waldo in July of 2018. The Frog Hut is a great place to get soft serve ice cream, but also sandwiches and fries. Stop by and find Waldo and get yourself a yummy treat.

Where's Waldo? In Wellsboro Pennsylvania. For the fifth year running, Indie Bookstores Launch a Massive Cross Country Campaign to Promote the Shop Local Message in July.

This July, From My Shelf Books & Gifts is joining a nationwide celebration of the Shop Local movement and the iconic children’s book character, Where’s Waldo, who recently celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday.

Brought back by popular demand for the seventh year in a row, indie bookstores across the country will be hosting Find Waldo scavenger hunts while spreading the "Buy Local" message in their cities and towns.

It’s a month-long scavenger hunt for Waldo hosted by 250 indie bookstores across the nation in July 2018. Participating bookstores champion the Shop Local message by enlivening downtown areas with a community-wide scavenger hunt activity to which everyone — kids, parents, and Waldo-lovers of all ages — is invited to participate.

On July 1, 2018, Waldo-spotters will set off on a hunt to find the elusive character hidden around dozens of downtown businesses in Wellsboro. Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a Find Waldo passport at a participating business and collect a store stamp or signature for each Waldo they spot. Hundreds of Waldo spotters will be eligible for prizes.

Where's Waldo? He's at Grubby's Games on 5 1/2 East Ave in Wellsboro

Waldo is a little old school, and he loves playing video games from the 80's, 90's and today. You can find him at Grubby's Games in Wellsboro. Grubby's is one of the 25 businesses you can find Waldo at in Wellsboro during the month of July. Check out Grubby's huge selection of video games.

Where's Waldo? In Wellsboro Pennsylvania. For the seventh year running, Indie Bookstores Launch a Massive Cross Country Campaign to Promote the Shop Local Message in July.

This July, From My Shelf Books & Gifts is joining a nationwide celebration of the Shop Local movement and the iconic children’s book character, Where’s Waldo, who recently celebrated his birthday.

Brought back by popular demand for the seventh year in a row, indie bookstores across the country will be hosting Find Waldo scavenger hunts while spreading the "Buy Local" message in their cities and towns.

It’s a month-long scavenger hunt for Waldo hosted by 250 indie bookstores across the nation in July 2018. Participating bookstores champion the Shop Local message by enlivening downtown areas with a community-wide scavenger hunt activity to which everyone — kids, parents, and Waldo-lovers of all ages — is invited to participate.

On July 1, 2018, Waldo-spotters will set off on a hunt to find the elusive character hidden around dozens of downtown businesses in Wellsboro. Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a Find Waldo passport at a participating business and collect a store stamp or signature for each Waldo they spot. Hundreds of Waldo spotters will be eligible for prizes.

Where's Waldo? He's at Cafe 1905 in Dunhams at 45 Main Street.

Where's Waldo? In Wellsboro Pennsylvania. For the sixth year running, Indie Bookstores Launch a Massive Cross Country Campaign to Promote the Shop Local Message in July.

This July, From My Shelf Books & Gifts is joining a nationwide celebration of the Shop Local movement and the iconic children’s book character, Where’s Waldo, who recently celebrated his birthday.

Brought back by popular demand for the fifth year in a row, indie bookstores across the country will be hosting Find Waldo scavenger hunts while spreading the "Buy Local" message in their cities and towns.

It’s a month-long scavenger hunt for Waldo hosted by 250 indie bookstores across the nation in July 2018. Participating bookstores champion the Shop Local message by enlivening downtown areas with a community-wide scavenger hunt activity to which everyone — kids, parents, and Waldo-lovers of all ages — is invited to participate.

On July 1, 2017, Waldo-spotters started set off on a hunt to find the elusive character hidden around dozens of downtown businesses in Wellsboro. Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a Find Waldo passport at a participating business and collect a store stamp or signature for each Waldo they spot. Hundreds of Waldo spotters will be eligible for prizes.

One of the participating businesses hosting Waldo this year is Cafe 1905 in Dunhams' Department store at 45 Main Street. Cafe 1905 serves Starbucks coffee and has free Wifi. I love getting my espresso there, and sometimes I'll grab a sandwich for lunch. Kasey loves their banana bread and the iced green tea. Look for Waldo and get yourself something nice.

Where's Waldo? He's At From My Shelf Books & Gifts

Where's Waldo? In Wellsboro Pennsylvania. For the seventh year running, Indie Bookstores Launch a Massive Cross Country Campaign to Promote the Shop Local Message in July.

This July, From My Shelf Books & Gifts is joining a nationwide celebration of the Shop Local movement and the iconic children’s book character, Where’s Waldo, who recently celebrated his birthday.

Brought back by popular demand for the seventh year in a row, indie bookstores across the country will be hosting Find Waldo scavenger hunts while spreading the "Buy Local" message in their cities and towns.

It’s a month-long scavenger hunt for Waldo hosted by 250 indie bookstores across the nation in July 2018. Participating bookstores champion the Shop Local message by enlivening downtown areas with a community-wide scavenger hunt activity to which everyone — kids, parents, and Waldo-lovers of all ages — is invited to participate.

On July 1, 2018, Waldo-spotters will set off on a hunt to find the elusive character hidden around dozens of downtown businesses in Wellsboro. Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a Find Waldo passport at a participating business and collect a store stamp or signature for each Waldo they spot. Hundreds of Waldo spotters will be eligible for prizes.

From My Shelf Books & Gifts is the host bookstore for Waldo, and we are entering our twelth year in business and our sixth year of hosting Waldo. You can check out the bookstore at 7 East Avenue. We have over 50,000 books in stock with millions only a day away. Our staff are dedicated experts and will help you find the right book for you, or for that special someone.

Molly, The Dog With Diabetes

"Last fall, I was walking to work when I ran into my neighbor Sue Powers and her dog Molly," said Kevin Coolidge, owner of From My Shelf Books and Gifts in Wellsboro. Powers told him Molly had diabetes and might make a good children’s book.

“As I walked on, I began thinking Sue might be right. My dad had adult onset diabetes and I had a good friend who died at 40 of diabetes. At the bookstore, I asked Jen Colson what she thought. She has diabetes. "Great idea," she said. Customers who came to the store that day agreed.”

"Four years ago at Christmastime, Molly began urinating constantly so I took her to our veterinarian thinking she had a urinary tract infection," said Powers. Molly’s urine test showed she was diabetic.

“Every morning, I test Molly's urine to determine her glucose level. Based on her blood sugar results, she gets injections of animal insulin two times a day, is on prescription dog food that has less carbohydrates to keep her weight down and her blood sugar in check, and goes for a daily walk. She gets half of a small dog bone as a treat and also likes raw carrots,” said Powers.

“If Molly’s blood sugar dips too low, she has a hypoglycemic episode, just like people do. If she goes limp, I give her honey and that brings her around in a couple of minutes.”

“When we are on a walk, Molly is always excited to see Kevin. One day, out of the blue, I said to him, ‘I have a great idea for a children’s book – Molly, the dog with diabetes.’ ‘I’ll add that to my list,’ he told me.”

Later that same day, Kevin called and told Powers he had brought up the idea of doing a children’s book about a diabetic dog to people who worked at the bookstore as well as customers. “He said each person he talked to was either diabetic, had a family member that was or knew a child with diabetes,” said Powers.

“I felt that writing about what a dog with diabetes goes through would show children they can live a normal life if they take care of themselves,” Powers said. “The two of us began chatting about the parallels between diabetic dogs and people. I told Kevin that Molly goes on vacation with us and has children and dogs that come to play with her. He talked about ideas he had. We both began to get really excited about this book," said Powers.

“That’s where my inspiration came from to do a day in Molly’s life,” Coolidge said. “It’s a feel good book about how happy and healthy Molly is as she lives with diabetes.”

Kevin wrote most of "Molly, the Dog with Diabetes" last November and added finishing touches in January.

The next step was to raise funds to pay an illustrator and a formatter. Coolidge opened an online Kickstarter account. He hit his $1,000 goal on May 12. Those who contributed $10 will get a free autographed copy. “The illustrations will be finished by the end of June and the book formatted and printed by the end of July.

"We are planning a book release party on First Friday, Aug. 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the bookstore," Coolidge said. "Sue and Molly will be there." Those who want to pre-order the book can call From My Shelf Books and Gifts at 570-724-5793.



Molly is the center of attention for Kevin Coolidge and owner Sue Powers. The seven-year-old dachshund mix has diabetes and is the star of Coolidge's soon to be released children's book.

Photo by John Eaton

Not a Mistake... an Opportunity!

"Beautiful Oops!" is an inspirational, interactive book to encourage kids (and their adults!) to create -- to let go of their perfectionism, to stop throwing away "mistakes" made during the creative process (and perhaps in other areas of life?), and to make an "oops!" into something fun.

Filled with flaps, pop-outs, overlays, see-through-the-hole pictures, bright colors, and tons of imagination, this book is a great gift. There's even a journal/sketchbook to complement the original book: "My Book of Beautiful Oops!: A Scribble It, Smear It, Fold It, Tear It Journal for Young Artists". (Think of Keri Smith's 'Wreck This Journal' series, but with brighter colors, for the younger set.)

We are looking forward to sharing these with our young and young-at-heart folks wishing to be creative!

The Totally Ninja Raccoons

Do You Love Jokes?

Kids, do you love jokes? Would you like your favorite joke to appear in a book? Kevin, author of The Totally Ninja Raccoon series, is putting together a Totally Ninja Raccoon joke book. If you'd like a chance for your favorite joke to appear, just send him your favorite joke on a stamped postcard to:

From My Shelf Books
Att: Kevin
7 East Ave
Wellsboro PA 16901

Or come in a tell him yourself.

Grown-ups, you can enter too, just remember these jokes are for kids. So, must be clean...fart jokes are acceptable.

Remember, it does not have to be a joke you created, but it is fine if it is.

Jokes must be post marked by September 1, 2018

What's Going On at FROM MY SHELF: FAQ for Spring 2018

Lots of rumors, news, questions, stories, and concerns swirling around in the ether about From My Shelf Books & Gifts lately! We've answered a lot of questions in face-to-face discussions these last couple of months, so we thought we'd post some of the most-frequently-asked questions and answers here, for your reference. :)

1. QUESTION: I heard you were having a contest to give away the bookstore?

ANSWER: We WERE running an essay contest, where those wishing to participate sent us a $75 contest entry fee along with their short essay addressing this question: "Why is a bookstore important to a community?" IF we received 4,000 entries, a committee of judges would have chosen a winner. The contest entry deadline was March 31, 2018. We didn't receive enough entries to go forward with passing ownership on to a winner. Checks are being sent back to those who entered, along with our gratitude for folks who love bookstores and believe they are essential to a community. We'll be publishing some of their answers on the blog, so check in again!

2. QUESTION: Are you closing the bookstore?!?

ANSWER: No! Nope! Not true! From My Shelf Books & Gifts will continue forward, with your hosts Kevin & Kasey, bookstore cats Huck & Finn, and a couple of familiar faces on staff! We will be making some changes over the next few months, as we RE-organize, RE-boot, RE-birth, and RE-new the structure of the bookstore to meet the current market and our community's needs. Thank you all for expressing your love and concern for our staying here and staying at the helm.

3. QUESTION: Are you going to become a bookstore just for children's books?

ANSWER: We will be focusing more, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY, on books and gifts for children. We're excited to expand our inventory for babies through young adult. If you know us, however, you know that each person on staff has their own favorite authors and genres, so we will continue to stock those, continue to have great personal recommendations for you and yours, and continue to introduce you to great new reads.

4. QUESTION: I'm a member: when can I start bringing in my trade-ins again?

ANSWER: We're not currently taking trade-ins. We love being able to offer new and used books, and we love the way real books recycle. It finally happened, though: WE RAN OUT OF ROOM. We've been having all kinds of HUGE sales over the last year to try to open the pressure valve, so to speak, on our storage capacities, but we've finally gotten to the point where we need to sell off and reorganize all the inventory we've accumulated over the last 12 years. A lot of that inventory comes from our generous trade-in program. So, for now, enjoy big sales. Later -- if summer ever gets here -- we can take trades again!

5. QUESTION: I'm a new author: will you buy my book/carry my book in your store/host me for an event?

ANSWER: Please email us at from_my_shelf (at) yahoo.com to sign up for this year's 10th Annual BookFest in October! This is a great way for regional authors to get their name out to folks in our area, get a ton of publicity, and get started selling books in our community.

6. QUESTION: I'm an author who has books with you that you agreed to sell on consignment. Are you selling those off in your 50% off sales?

ANSWER: No, at present, your books are NOT included in our 50% off sales. They are being sold at the agreed-on price. I do, however, strongly encourage you to contact us right away, because when we get ready to move a lot of inventory around here -- and the time is fast approaching -- we will expect you to take whatever books of yours are remaining. We cannot store them any more. We'll absolutely need to have fewer copies of your books. Please email ASAP.

7. QUESTION: Are all these great sale prices just for bookstore members?

ANSWER: Not all of the BIG sales are exclusive to members, but many of them are, and will continue to be. We do have sales that are available to EVERYONE, and we are currently changing the sales on a regular basis, so check in often. Don't be afraid to ask! Stop in to see what we have!

8. QUESTION: Can I still do custom orders with you, even if you're focusing more on kids' books/even if your physical store gets smaller?

ANSWER: OF COURSE!! We really enjoy helping you get the books you want. New books are almost always in our Chambersburg, PA, warehouse and can be here in 1-2 business days! People who custom order with us are often surprised that we get things in, regularly, faster than even Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Plus, if you prepay, we can offer you some fantastic discounts. If you haven't done custom ordering with us before, ask us what we can do for you. If you have had us custom order for you in the past, don't worry: that's not changing! We've got you covered!


Now, let us know what other questions you might have. Thanks for sticking with us, bookstore friends; we are sticking with you!