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Guest Blog From Customer Renee Montgomery

Submitted by Mrs. Nelsons Blog on Sat, 08/21/2010 - 5:15pm
In the film "You've Got Mail," the Meg Ryan character, an indie children's bookstore owner, goes into the new mega-bookstore to see what they've got that's making them so successful.  As she's sitting in the children's department, she overhears a customer question the salesclerk "Do you have 'The Shoe' books?  My friend says my daughter has to read 'The Shoe' books."
 
"Who's the author?" the salesclerk hems and haws, so finally Meg chimes in "Noel Streatfeild.  Noel Streatfeild wrote 'The Ballet Shoes,' and 'Skating Shoes' and 'Theatre Shoes' and 'Movie Shoes.'   I'd start with 'The 'Skating Shoes.'   It's my favorite, although 'Ballet Shoes' is completely wonderful."  Even after she clues in the salesclerk with the author's name, she still has to spell it for him. "S-T-R-E-A-T-F-E-I-L-D"   
 
When I walk into Mrs. Nelson's, I always recall this scene. As the mother of a 15 year old, I need lots of help understanding the new flood of teen lit. Vampire books? Gossipy girls? What's appropriate and of interest to my daughter -- a reluctant reader?  So I greatly appreciate Mrs. Nelson's displays of recommended and bestselling teen literature.  And even the young part-time clerk at Mrs. Nelson's could carry on a helpful, intelligent conversation, not only about "Hunger Games," but also about book 2 and the impending book 3 in the trilogy.
 
Service, guidance, expertise are important to me in buying children's books. We are lucky to have the resource of Mrs. Nelson's in our area.
 
Renee Montgomery, Covina