Congrats to the Blue Marble Bookstore!

I’ve just heard that the Big Blue Marble Bookstore in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, has been nominated for the Pannell Award by the WNBA (Women’s National Book Association)! Here’s more about the award.

Established in 1981 to honor Lucile Micheels Pannell, a model book woman and children’s bookseller, the Pannell Award recognizes retail bookstores that excel at inspiring the interest of young people in books and reading.

I’m especially impressed and pleased to hear this, because it’s a wonderful bookstore! I was just there last weekend!

I was visiting friends who live in the neighborhood. Fell in love with Blue Marble even before I walked in. It’s open and airy with a nifty balcony on the second floor. I briefly met Maleka, who works at the store, and wished I could have stayed to talk books for hours. Or days. Note to self, move closer to Mt. Airy. Or visit more often.

The View from the Blue Marble Balcony

The childrens’ area has a comfy place for small readers to sprawl with their books. I should have taken a picture of it- picture a couch crossed with a bouncy castle, scaled for kindergarteners. I envied the kids, wishing for a grownup-sized version.

The store’s varied selection of books is a delight. I like that used books are part of what they do, because it means even more books are undiscovered possibilities. (And my wallet loves used books too.)

I kept finding familiar titles that made me grin, or books I’d never seen, or even thought of, before. Still kicking myself for not grabbing the MFK Fisher essay collection. The only thing that kept me from leaving with two burgeoning bags of books was the fact that I had to head back home on an interstate bus trip, and didn’t have room in my bag.

So- if you’re near Mt. Airy, check out Blue Marble. Maybe bring a second bag, if you’re traveling from out of town.