I often save ideas for future blog posts on scraps of paper, in the back of a notebook, or at risk of loosing said idea, in my head.

Just the other day, I remembered an idea I had for a post about our local independent children’s bookstore.

I go to Books, Bytes and Beyond often under the guise of buying gifts for the girls to bring with them to birthday parties. While I do this, I also get to browse the aisles and pour over new titles. But even better, I get to talk with the staff and hear their recommendations, the books that make them laugh out loud or keep them up late in the night reading.

Just the other day when I was there, one of the sellers said, “And of course, you know about the Fancy Nancy chapter book.”

Uhm. No I don’t. For all the reading I do of blogs and journals somehow I had missed this. A Fancy Nancy chapter book.

Genius really. All those little girls who grew up loving Fancy Nancy are now ready to read independently. Enter Nancy Clancy, mystery solver extrodinaire. While I believe that the writing was better in the picture books, the story held Katherine’s attention and mine. It was fun to watch a character who we had known only over 32 pages expand her personality in the chapter book form.

So just as I was thinking about my pro-indpendent bookstore post, I get an e-mail from my most amazing friend, Jules of Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast about Ann Patchett, author of my latest favorite book, State of Wonder. She told me about the wonderful independent bookstore that Patchett opened in Nashville upon the closing of two bookstores in their town. It had become an independent bookstore kind of day.

To read about Patchett’s decision to open a store in the face of multiple store closures, click here. And really, what a brave women.  According to the American Booksellers Association of Booksellers, there are now 1900 independent bookstores as opposed to the 2400 stores in 2002. Why would someone open a store?

The reasons she gives for opening Parnassus Books are compelling.

My favorite though is this:

Ms. Patchett said that she is counting on her store to drive home a sharp, tough-love message to book lovers: buy books at independent stores, or the stores will go away.

And then there are the reasons she gives during an interview on the Colbert Report. Priceless. Definitely worth watching.

So off you go. Read the article, watch the video and then find your local independent bookstore and get shopping… Ann Patchett says so.