Meet the Bookseller: Interview with Chris Heim, @BooksofWonder Buyer (AKA the guy who buys books for the store).
Meet the Bookseller: Interview with Chris Heim, @BooksofWonder Buyer (AKA the guy who buys books for the store).
The opinions expressed herein are those of Chris Heim and not Books of Wonder. Enjoy!
Interviewed by Anya JG @BooksofWonder master of the dark arts and bagel eater.
Anya: What are your all-time favorite classic children’s books? Why?
Chris: Firstly, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I read those books so many times when I was young – and I still read them today. When I was eleven I wanted to be a wizard and waited for my letter from Hogwarts to come in the mail (it never came). Also, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig – the character turns into a stone, which is scary, and I’ve always had a morbid curiosity. I also loved James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl; it’s a great story, and I like the wish fulfillment factor. And Hooper Humperdink…? Not Him! By Dr. Seuss, because it’s about a little boy who is ostracized, and then in the end everyone decides they want to be his friend, which is awesome.
Anya: What contemporary books would you recommend for teens?
Chris: I would definitely say The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins for both girls and boys – it’s a great concept, it’s interesting, and of course the world she creates is so original. Very powerful. Also, Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I’m really into the dystopian worlds theme.
Anya: What about little kids? What contemporary picture books would you read to your own kids one day?
Chris: Every Mo Willems book (Elephant and Piggie, Knuffle Bunny, Pigeon series); they’re simple, they flow well, and they’re hilarious. Oliver Jeffers (especially Stuck and The Incredible Book Eating Boy) has a great voice and I love his illustrations. Also any books by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, particularly the Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. David Weisner (Tuesday) is fantastic. And I don’t want to forget Allen Says, his books are beautiful.
Anya: We have author events at the store all the time. Any particular authors or illustrators you’ve met at the store you were impressed or surprised by?
Chris: Well, I met Brian Selznick (author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret) at one event, and he was wearing these amazing red sparkly shoes, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. I thought that was pretty cool. David Levithan is fun to talk to. And I’ve had some great conversations with Sam Ita; he has a really cute son named Voltron (yes, that’s his real name) who is often here running around the store.
Anya: Any new authors we should watch out for?
Chris: Leigh Bardugo – we’re taking pre-orders now for her debut novel Shadow and Bone, and it’s really good. The heroine is this tough teenage girl, and it’s probably one of the most exciting fantasy stories of the summer.
Anya: What sort of qualities do you look for when you’re buying books for the store?
Chris: With novels in particular, it’s important to follow the trends; in the last year or two these trends have included vampires, wizards, angels, dystopian worlds, dragons… and with the picture books, they either have to be funny or poignant in some beautiful way. Being educational for kids is a plus, but sometimes a kid just wants to laugh.
Anya: In your opinion, do you think most kid’s and teen books are geared towards genders separately – do boys and girls really like the same kind of books? And if there is segregation, do you think it’s a good thing or a bad thing?
Chris: I think there is some segregation, yes. With teen novels especially; there is a lot of chick lit that isn’t especially geared towards the male reader… although I personally still enjoy a lot of it, so you see that rule doesn’t necessarily apply. There are definitely some distinct interests between girls and boys that don’t overlap, but generally I think a good story is a good story, and it shouldn’t make a difference what the gender of the protagonist, narrator, or reader is. If the story is well told, that’s all that really matters.
Anya: Why do you think it’s important to read to your kids or buy them books when they’re young? Wouldn’t it be easier to just put them in front of the TV?
Chris: Reading is one of the most important things in life; it’s how we get information and it’s how we entertain ourselves. There are words everywhere. And becoming familiar with those words makes you more a part of the world, a more complete human being. Studies have shown that the number of words you speak to children affects their intelligence later in life – so reading to a child inundates them with words, which can only benefit them later on.
Anya: Did reading books as a kid influence the person you became and are today?
Chris: Absolutely. I’m a better person today because of books. For example, there’s a comic book called Maus, written by Art Spiegelman, which actually won a Pulitzer Prize. It’s an animal cartoon about the Holocaust, where the Jews are mice and the Germans are cats… anyway it’s really upsetting and moving and amazing, I must have read it 50 times as a kid, and it really taught me a lot about that time period historically, as well as about the importance of family. The topic is definitely mature, but we do carry it in the store.
Anya: What’s the best part about working in a bookstore?
Chris: I get to read all of the books that I want, even ones that aren’t officially out yet. Being surrounded by books and being able to talk about books with the people around me is ideal. I’ve also come to value the industry and realize how important it is to protect our books.
