Library Girl #YALit Shelf Talkers (at Browsers Bookstore and Beyond!)

A couple of years ago, I was inspired by a social media post from middle grade author Erin Bow in which she shared that she was giving up billionaires for Lent. Now, being a non-religious type myself, I don't know much about Lent beyond the fact that it's observed by Christians and involves giving something up for a specific period of time. My understanding is that the sacrifice should be meaningful. For example, giving up chocolate for Lent is (essentially) meaningless if you hate or are allergic to chocolate.

All of that said, I interpreted Erin's post to mean that she was going to do her best not to rely on services provided by billionaires for the duration of Lent. I very much liked this idea and, following Erin's lead, I began the work of reducing my dependence on companies owned by the world's richest men. This included being more intentional about purchasing books from independent bookstores rather than big box giants.

Now, to be clear, I've been a customer and supporter of Browsers Books in Olympia, WA, since moving (back) here in 2017, but in recent years, they've seen a lot more of me. Like many independent bookstores, Browsers is a beautiful space filled with friendly booksellers and a wonderful assortment of books to choose from. Their owner Andrea, (who has become a friend), is even a former librarian, so... bonus! I love Browsers so much that I even took my friend John Schu there when he visited last year!

Let's Talk About Shelf Talkers!

Recently, Andrea asked if I would be interested in creating some shelf talkers for the Young Adult Literature section at Browsers. Knowing that I teach a Young Adult Literature course for Rutgers and that, subsequently, I read a lot of books in the category, Andrea thought this might be an easy lift for me and a fun way to connect her customers to books that I love. Naturally, I said yes!

Before I share my own, let’s talk a bit about shelf talkers! While I’m guessing that most people reading this post are already familiar with shelf talkers, for those who may not have heard that term before, let’s break it down.

At their core, shelf talkers are short, often handwritten (but not always), reader-facing recommendations. They sit on the shelf, right next to the book, doing the work of helping connect readers to books. I love shelf talkers and think they are a powerful form of asynchronous reader’s advisory. As I often tell my students, for every kid who asks you for a book recommendation, there are countless others who won’t. While we all do our best to be friendly and approachable, creating welcoming spaces and endless opportunities for connection, for some readers, a face-to-face conversation can feel risky, particularly if they’re looking for a book on a topic they’re not quite ready to share beyond their reader’s heart.

In that context, shelf talkers are an essential part of how we connect kids to the right book at the right moment without requiring a potentially uncomfortable conversation.

With that in mind, every bookseller and librarian likely has their own approach to shelf talkers. Here’s mine:

• Keep ’em short and sweet: I limit my shelf talkers to two sentences.

  • Sentence 1: A brief hook or book description (Here’s why you’ll love this book!)

  • Sentence 2: Read-alikes (Here are a few comparable titles. If you liked them, you might like this one, too!)

• Invite instead of teach: Shelf talkers don’t need to perfectly summarize the book or connect a title to literary value. Zzzzzz! Don’t bore us! Get to the chorus!

• Shelf talkers are about YOU, too!: Great shelf talkers also help build reader trust in your recommendations. The ultimate goal is for readers to see your shelf talkers and think, “Oooh! I know this person (you!) makes great book recommendations!”

YA Shelf Talkers for Classics Remixed!

For my first round of Browsers shelf talkers I decided to focus on a few new books that remix classics.

Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet

In this fast-paced, often unpredictable reimagining of Little Women, grief spirals into paranoia as the March sisters try to solve a murder that any one of them could have committed. 

For readers who loved: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson or We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay by Ryan Douglass

This messy (in the best way!), high-stakes reimagining of The Great Gatsby crackles with romance, ambition, and resistance in 1920s Harlem.

For readers who loved: The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta or Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo.

Dan in Green Gables by Rey Terciero

Full of humor, heartache, and hope, this queer spin on Anne of Green Gables invites readers to imagine home even (or especially!) when it feels out of reach. 

For readers who loved: Heartstopper  by Alice Oseman or The Girl from the Sea by Lee Knox Ostertag.

Look, y'all! I've even got my own shelf of recommendations in Browsers YA section!

Of course, if you live in the Olympia area, I hope you'll head to Browsers and pick up all of these books, along with any others that make your reader’s heart tingle. However, even if you're far away, you can always order books from Browsers online or pick up my recommendations at your own independent bookstore or local library. Either way, happy reading!

PS: Big thanks to Browsers book seller Skye for writing out my shelf talkers! Your handwriting is so much better than mine!

Template: Make Your Own Shelf Talkers - Bookmoji Style!

Finally, I created a Canva template for using your Bookelicious Bookmoji (or other avatar) to create fun and engaging book talkers. I love how they turned out! If you make your own, and decide to share them on social media, please tag me! Either way, I hope you find this resource useful!