High Five Books

06/18/2026

NEXT FRIDAY! 📖 (*And* in July and Aug!) Join us for our first-ever Silent Reading Parties, here at High Five!

At the end of a sticky summer day, come chill out in our cheerful shop after-hours. Arrive, shop our fab books and settle in the AC by 6:30pm for an hour of silent reading among bookish friends!

(Caregivers are expected to be ticketed and stay with any young, quiet readers at this event, which is recommended for ages 7+.)

$10 tickets include a Crooked Stick Pops popsicle and a $5 book coupon. Come!

Join us for Silent Reading Nights at our shop on select Fridays this summer from 6:30-7:30pm. Relax with a book, popsicle, and $5 book coupon!

06/16/2026

NO ONE is more excited for New Book Tuesday this week than Lexi, who has been waiting for Charity & Sylvia by Tillie Walden to come out ever since it was first announced!! 🤩

(If you want to know what she looked like when the box arrived from the publisher, just zoom in on the cover of Toad on the Go 😁)



ID close up pictures of several of the new books on the shelf and a far away picture of the full shelf

06/16/2026

❤️‍🩹 Our friend Jane Yolen, the matriarch of modern kidlit, died last week at age 87 in nearby Hatfield, Massachusetts.

The most prolific children’s author of all time was as committed to her audience as she was her craft. If you met Jane at one of our family book events over the last six years, you witnessed how she delighted in meeting her readers face to face.

No, she didn’t want to hang out in the green room alone before a performance or reading: Jane preferred to talk with families and sign books. She *wanted* to hear which dino from the HOW DO DINOSAURS… series was your toddler’s favorite. Yes, you can take a photo together.

And if you met Jane through us, you likely also met one of her masterpieces: her daughter, fellow prolific author Heidi EY Stemple.

Brilliant minds and big hearts sure run in that family. Heidi and Jane were devoted champions of each other’s work, and also of legions of other writers and illustrators. They guided entire generations of new creators.

Jane’s impact on the children’s book publishing industry is tremendous: With more than 450 books to her name, she touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people—from editors and art directors to librarians and booksellers like us. And so, so many readers! How lucky we ALL are.

Rest in power, Jane Yolen. We will look up at the moon and miss you.

We love you, Heidi. 🫶

06/11/2026

AUGUST SESSIONS JUST DROPPED! ⚔ By popular demand, we're offering *two* week-long Module Mania experiences here at the shop for tweens ages 10 to 13.

Each week, we'll explore how to create modules for already-made tabletop roleplaying game systems. Kids will design a mini playable module compatible with the D&D 5e system-complete with original creatures, settings, adventures, and more!

(This session is ideal for kids who already have a strong familiarity with tabletop roleplaying game systems like D&D.)

Monday-Friday, 8/10-8/14 and/or 8/17-8/21
10:30-1pm
Ages 10-13
with Coates!
$250/player
Learn more: https://highfivebooks.org/collections/summer-fun/products/module-mania-summer-2026

06/10/2026

Hi! It’s Lexi, popping in to shout: THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING SMALL!

Our team is swimming in school and nonprofit orders this week, and we cannot thank you all enough for the big support of our small business as you’re closing out your fiscal year.

We hear how much area districts are encouraging educators to shop locally when possible. And we appreciate every visit from the incredible local agencies who trust us to get meaningful books in their clients’ hands.

No, we cannot beat Amazon’s prices or speed. But our human booksellers *can* curate a joyful, affirming, inclusive collection for your specific class, group, or school. We are doing our darnedest to make the PO submission, tracking, and fulfillment processes simple for you. And we love getting to pull up to your sweet locations with each delivery.

At this point, we’re an approved vendor in nearly every(!) district locally. But hit us up to check if we’re in yours, should you need help spending down any final book or materials budgets by the end of the month.

And thank you, friends. This support means everything.

(Cutiepie sticker by fellow small biz )

06/09/2026

New Book Tuesday! The hardest part is deciding what to read first 😁



ID new book shelf from far away and close ups of some of the titles mentioned in the comments

06/09/2026

🌈 Our friend Phee made the sweetest Pride display for us, featuring some of our favorite q***r local authors, as part of the Junior Bookseller Experience they won at a local nonprofit raffle. Come check out their recs—and look for your chance to bid on this experience over the summer at various local nonprofit events!