Two bookstores won the prestegious Pannell Award for fostering a love for reading in their communities. The Parnell Award is an annual award given to bookstores who are leaders in their community and instill excitement for reading in young people.   "The Book Beat," a bookstore in the Oak Park neighborhood of Detroit received the award in the general bookstore category and "Monkey See, Monkey Do," a children's bookstore in Clarence, NY won the award in the children's bookstore category.  

The award, which in addition to national recognition includes a check for $1,000 and a framed piece of artwork is a great tribute to independent bookstores especially during a time when they experience steep challenges.  The Pannell Award is sponsored by the Women's National Book Association (WNBA) and is underwritten by the Penguin Young Readers Group.

The Pannell jury cited the Detroit bookstore for its "passion and understanding of children's books and young readers."  They went on to add that the bookstore was awarded the prize for its "tremendous success as an independent haven within a tough urban environment."  As for the New York bookstore, the jury said it was singled out for the prize because of its "spirit of entrepreneurship and for looking for ways to make money not just from book sales."