Who’s Got the Goods - May 2012

The Ivy Bookshop

By Paula Goodgal
The Ivy Bookshop
6080 Falls Road
Baltimore, MD 21209
410-377-2966                                        

Like a book in process for a new edition, The Ivy Bookshop is undergoing revisions. In January 2012, new owners Ed and Ann Berlin took over the 10-year old independent bookstore in Lake Falls Village, just on the Baltimore City/Baltimore County line in north Baltimore. With the goal of retaining its community-oriented, book-loving tradition and its role, which Ed Berlin describes “as one of the remaining literary independent bookstores in the city,” they are adding elements to what has made the Ivy so successful.
The shop has been reconfigured to accommodate about 60 people for an even more active schedule of in-store author readings, signings and talks than under the previous ownership.
The Ivy’s book selections will continue to reflect a breadth and depth of choice within genres; according to Berlin, the Ivy carries several difficult-to-find imprints, like Godine. But selections may also be amended as the store responds to its customers’ requests for newly-published fiction and non-fiction, as well as classics, biographies, history, art books, cooking books, gardening books, and mysteries.
The children’s section, which comprises about a quarter of the approximately 35,000 books in the store, includes biographies, history and science books, classics, fantasy, sports (including horse-related books which particularly appeal to local interests), and mysteries. Debbie Nelson, who has worked at the store for the past three years and is also a part-time children’s librarian with the Baltimore County Library system, oversees and purchases for that section. Nelson herself enjoys reading young adult literature, as she believes that it is written much tightly and editors are much harder on it. And she speaks of her great joy in sharing with customers “things that I really feel are super-good or just spot on what they are looking for, what they need.” Two books that she recommends are “Sees Behind Trees” by Michael Dorris (Hyperion, 1996) for 8- to 9-year-old boys  and “The Search for Delicious” by Natalie Babbit (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1969) for 11-year-old girls. For babies, she suggests Kaaren Pixton’s “Indestructibles Creep! Crawl!” by Kaaren Pixton (Workman Publishing Company, 2009) and “Indestructibles Jungle, Rumble!” (Workman Publishing Company, 2010). She anticipates supplementing the children’s book section with related items like puppets or dolls that go along with book titles, such as a stuffed Olivia, and maybe a Curious George or Hungry Caterpillar. The store already stocks literary games (such as a letter tile game entitled Appleletters), puzzle blocks, drawing books, and items like bird identification kits.
By the beginning of May, a new website should be up and running. With significant interactive capability, www.theivybookshop.com will inform visitors about what’s in stock, staff picks, upcoming author events, and major upcoming literature. BC

© Baltimore’s Child Inc. May 012