A shout out for indie bookstores

My Connecticut College roommate Ellen Richmond won a $5,000 James Patterson grant at the Book Expo in New York recently for her bookstore, The Children's Book Cellar in Waterville, Maine. http://www.childrensbookcellar.com. Ellen will use the grant to make improvements to the store and maybe offer a community reading program. How wonderful that Patterson is giving away $1 million to independent book sellers like my friend.
Ellen was featured today in an article in the Bangor Daily News.
http://cultureshock.bangordailynews.com/2014/06/09/out-and-about/waterville-book-store-receives-5000-grant-from-writer-james-patterson/.
What better labor of love for an English major and avid reader than a book store? Ellen is the only person I know who doesn't own a TV. She's spends a lot of her free time reading. She really knows her stuff.
Ellen began working at the chain Mr. Paperback in Skowhegan, working her way up in management. She bought the Children's Book Cellar in 2002. I enjoy Ellen's posts on Facebook about all the events and author  appearances at the store. I wish I lived closer — or at least had a grandchild or two to buy for!  Ellen recently added a selection of books for adults, so if I were heading up to Maine this summer I'd stop there for my summer reading.