Big Changes for Little Readers

      It's time for spring cleaning, and over at Eagle Eye we are here for it. Specifically, we're taking this time to clean up things over in our Kids & Young Adult section. 

    "We want to simplify the shopping experience and make it easier for people to find things they're looking for," said Cassandra Hamilton, who's been heading up the reorganization efforts with Diana Robinson.

    When asked how we'd be simplifying, Hamilton said that we'd be more actively separating challenging young adult books from simpler titles for younger readers. We'll also be creating a mid-grade section, for readers who looking for a more challenging read that deals with simpler themes. Books that will end up in this categories include series like Dog Man, Dork Diaries, and Wings of Fire.

     Besides mid-grade fiction, we've also created a number of new sections in children's nonfiction. These include "Cool Skills," where you can find books about subjects from skateboarding to knitting, and "LGBTQIA+," but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

    "It's really important to get kids engaged with reading early, and this redesign will help shoppers find books to do just that," said Hamilton.

    All of the reorganizing has also cleared up a lot of space for us, which we'll be filling with more books! Specifically, children's classics, mid-grade, graphic novels, young adult, and new releases will be seeing a surge of new titles. Per Cassandra's recommendation, we will be getting in "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase," while Diana is more excited about reinvigorating the children's classics.

    "The kids need the classics!" said Diana in our interview.

    So if you've ever felt a little lost in the kid's section, come on down and check out the changes for yourself. The book you've been looking for might have been under your nose the whole time.

Bookselling & Sustainability

    Did you know it takes about 4.5 kWh of energy to print, bind, and ship a single paperback? That's according to David Reay of the University of Edinburgh. In contrast, it takes zero additional energy for a used or recycled book to sit on our shelves. So besides saving on cost, shopping used books helps to keep your carbon footprint low too. 

 

    Trading in books here also keeps them out of the landfill, though we're not the only operation that can boast this. There are, of course, other used bookstores, but there are also places like the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (or CHaRM) where you can recycle more than just your books.

 

    Our environmentally friendly practices don't end with book trade-ins, though, because here at Eagle Eye make use of sustainability in all facets of bookselling. When we receive inventory, we save all usable packing paper & sturdy cartons for future use. This means we never have to purchase packing paper for when we ship out books, and only rarely do we have to buy shipping boxes.

    Besides our environmentally conscious practices, we also host events throughout the year with local & national nature writers and conservationists. One author we often feature is Douglas Tallamy, who's new book "How Can I Help?" just released, and to celebrate we'll be offering at a discounted price of $19.97. If you're looking for a more energy sensitive option, though, we've got a great selection of used books in our Nature section.

Fool Night

    Imagine a world engulfed in smog, smog so thick that it blocks out the sun. Temperatures drop globally. Plants that rely on photosynthesis start to die off. Mass extinction draws near, but life will find a way.

     This is the world of Fool Night, and the world Toshiro Kamiya lives in. Despite the sword hanging over his head, Toshiro works himself to his limits day in and day out at a factory to support himself and his mother, earning a wage that leaves him with not even 2,000 yen after expenses. And with the cost of his mother's schizophrenia medication on the rise, it's looking like any savings Toshiro may have for the future are about to evaporate. 

   All hope is not lost, though, for Toshiro and the rest of humanity. A procedure known as transfloration can plant seeds into humans, which then grow & sustain themselves using their host's flesh, allowing them live in constant darkness. The downside is that once they plant the seed, you've only got 2 years left to live. The upside is a 2 million yen subsidy from the government.

    After a near-death experience, Toshiro decides that life's too short to be living like he does & opts for transfloration. The procedure goes off without issue, but unfortunately that doesn't mean everything's smooth sailing. Shortly after being discharged, Toshiro is mugged, losing all 2 million of the subsidy yen, and left in the gutter. And here, at his lowest point, does a strange change start to occur inside of him. Toshiro starts to hear the voices of the plants around him, voices that open a new world of possibility for him.

     It is at this point in the story that Fool Night emerges from its cocoon. Toshiro joins up with Transflora Medical, the organization responsible for transfloration and all of the red tape that comes with it, to work as an investigator. From here, we're introduced to a flurry of new characters, concepts, institutions, counter-institutions and more. And just when you think you've something's been taken as far as it can go, a wall gives out and shows you just how much further there is to go.

    To me, Fool Night is the perfect metamorphic manga. Not only does its central plot device involve people undergoing an irreversible transformation, but the story itself is constantly in flux. One second its a family drama, the next a detective procedural, and then you turn the page and you're in the middle of an all out raid. And with the world in flux, its the perfect time to jump into a story that'll keep you constantly engaged like this one.