Find Wally! 16th June - 14th July

Where's Wally?  The world’s favourite children’s book character in specs and a stripy shirt is back! Wally is travelling the country, visiting ten different local businesses in Abingdon along the way. Wow!  Launching at the beginning of Independent Bookshop Week, the campaign runs from 16 June to 14 July. Those who find him can win prizes including stickers, books and more. The search is on!  

Anyone who wishes to take part can pick up a “Find Wally!” search list with the names of all the participating businesses, and collect an “I found Wally” card when they spot Wally.  Collect the cards and hand them in at Mostly Books to win Wally stickers and an entry for other, larger prizes to be drawn at the 'Where's Wally' prize draw on 14th July. The grand prize includes a copy of Where’s Wally? The Sticker Book and a copy of Where’s Wally Now? Deluxe Edition. 

3 4 Friday: Daring Princesses, Bookgroup Places and Booker Prizes

Today (Friday July 27) is the last day to do your ‘Where's Wally’ hunt around Abingdon and to get your entries in to us for a chance to win prizes in our grand draw. On Saturday (July 28) we will be doing ‘Where's Wally’ activities all day at Mostly Books to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first book. And anyone coming in dressed as Wally (or Wanda) get's an instant prize. From 2pm we will be drawing prizes – including some fantastic prizes from the shops involved, and the ‘grand prize’ of a very special limited edition ‘Where’s Wally’ book.

Whether it was Bradley Wiggins winning the Tour de France, or the bell-ringing this morning (!), Mostly Books is definitely in the mood for the Olympics. Our collection of Olympics books cannot be missed (literally – it’s the first thing you see when you come into the shop) and includes Mark’s favourite ‘How To Watch the Olympics’ (“a book that will turn yourself into an armchair Olympics expert”) to the official guide to the games for children. Come in and take a look at our range that’s sure to take gold (no, can’t believe we wrote that either...)

Calling all princesses! Have you heard about the princessparty we are hosting on Tuesday August 7? Then read on...

If you were a princess, would you be content to spend all day doing your formal duties and practising the perfect curtsey? Or might you sneak out after dinner and enjoy some freedom playing on a zip-wire after dark? The ‘Rescue Princesses’ is a fab series for girls who are just starting out on chapter books. They feature lots of gorgeous dresses and are set in fairytale castles, but have a great mix of traditional story with a modern twist as these princesses don’t let duty interfere with friendship or fun.

If you like princess stories, or stories about saving animals, or just about girls being daring and having adventures, you have a chance to meet author Paula Harrison and join in some princess fun activities at our Rescue Princess Party on Tuesday Aug 7 at 10.30am. Tickets are £3 and include activities and refreshments – everyone can leave with a crown or tiara they have made. Dressing up is optional, but if you want to dress as a princess, or even the animal you think you’d like to save, we will be awarding prizes! Find out more more here.

And finally: Bookgroups

We get asked a lot about Bookgroups, and although we run three of them, we only seldom have free places. So for those of you would like the opportunity to join you will be pleased to know that we will have vacancies in our Thursday evening group from September.

If you think you'd like to join, or would like to find out more, please come along to our special Abingdon book group evening. We will be discussing the book 'My Policeman' with guest author Bethan Roberts on Thursday Aug 9 at 7.30pm – take the chance to meet us and see if you think our bookgroup will be for you.

The event with Bethan Roberts is being hosted by Abingdon library. Tickets are £4, which includes wine and, of course, is open to all, and we will be joined by members from several local bookgroups.


Finally – we were excited to see that the guest author at the last Abingdon 'Big Read' in the library, Rachel Joyce, is on the Booker longlist with her debut book ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ that we discussed earlier in the year:

Congratulations to Rachel and best of luck with the shortlist!

3 4 Friday: Events: Search and Rescue (and breathe out)

For today's 3 book pick from the shelves of Mostly Books, we've focused on three books to coincide with three events coming up in the next few weeks.

Books often get described as a 'phenomenon' these days, but 'Where's Wally' can truly be described as such - not just because, 25 years after it launched, it still sells in the tens of thousands a year, but because it was (and is) a book that continues to reach out and turn children on to sitting with a book, where other books have failed.

A firm fixture in our culture - think spin-offs like 'Where's Stig' and 'Where's the Meerkat' (amongst many others) we are holding a month-long Abingdon Where's Wally? Hunt starting on June 29. There'll be fun and prizes galore...

For the parents amongst you (and that includes us) we could all do with a bit of 'Calmer, Easier, Happier Parenting' from time to time, so this book by childcare guru Nöel Janis-Norton offers down-to-earth, practical, common-sense advice to help improve our relationship with children, and have happier children at home and in school.

We are delighted to be welcoming Nöel to Mostly Books on Monday, July 16th - and intend to create a relaxed atmosphere (including the odd glass of wine) in which Janis can talk about her philosophy, give advice and answer questions.

Finally - little girl heaven. We appreciate that not every girl is into princesses (or animals), but for those who are, how about a brand new series of early reader books which have 'action' princesses who rescue animals in danger?

We think these are a great new series, and we've lured Rescue Princesses author Paula Harrison down to Mostly Books to host a Rescue Princess Party on Tuesday 7 August from 10.30am.

She will be helping you make crowns, tiaras, animal masks - and judging the best dressed Prince, Princess or Animal on the day!