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Photo by David Trawin

Sometimes a bookshelf holds books. Sometimes a bookshelf holds other things. But, occasionally, a bookshelf holds something intangible. Sometimes the idea behind a bookshelf is much more interesting than the books it holds. I know, blasphemy right?!

Books are full of symbolism, metaphor, and concepts that reach out beyond the words and physical pages of the book. Why can’t a bookshelf be more like the books on it? Why can’t a bookshelf be more than just a receptacle for the heavy burden of stories, ideas, conspiracy, and knowledge?

In fact, a bookshelf can be much much more than it seems. Below, you’ll find five bookshelves that contain ideas just like the hunks of paper, words, and glue that sit upon them.

Nothing different. That is exactly what I would do if the world’s end was supposedly near. That was my response to the Y2K panic and The Rapture, so if anything, I am consistent.

Image via Historic Buildings of CT

On Wednesday, September 26th the Whittemore Library in Naugatuck, Connecticut is having a book talk and signing by Quirk author Thomas Craughwell. He’ll be there chatting about his latest book, Thomas Jefferson’s Creme Brulee.

This isn’t the first time Tom stopped by the library. Last time he talked about his book Stealing Lincoln’s Body. If you’re in the area, stop by! You can learn more about the library over on its official website and/or Facebook page.

If you came to Book Expo America this year, you might have been one of the lucky few who snagged our fancy "What's Your Next Book?" ten year anniversary poster. Well, that classy poster has found new life on the cover of this week's Publishers Weekly, as we continue our year-long, ten year anniversary celebration. And we are psyched to see our logo on the cover. 

The fun doesn't stop there though! Along with the fun cover, inside this week's issue you'll also spot three pages of Quirky goodness, designed by our fabulous Andie Reid. We've got them pasted below. 

Thanks for a great ten years, everyone. And make sure you check out our History of Quirk Books Timeline and our Quirk Books Infographic. 

“How do you know the summer is really and truly over? My dad says it’s over precisely one second after midnight on September 21st. My friend Ellen says it’s over the minute you start thinking about whether to buy a binder, or a spiral notebook for school. But for me, the way I know the summer’s a goner is when my brother Pete and Artie, the Strongest Man in the World, go to the beach and try to beat up ocean.” – Pete Wrigley (the older one), from The Adventures of Pete and Pete.

September means school. Even for those of us who aren’t in school anymore, September still means school. It means shorter days, hooded sweatshirts, and getting abnormally excited about CVS having a huge sale on composition notebooks (whatever man don’t judge I do most of my first drafts in those things). Whether you’re moving, losing those precious Summer Fridays, or even just looking forward to finally getting rid of the kids so that they can go back to school, the cycle of the seasons still tends to revolve around that last hurrah of Labor Day, when something ends, or at least something changes, and we’re forced to face the coming fall, for better or for worse.

And yeah, okay, it could definitely be better. But at the same time, keep in mind that it could be a whole lot worse. So to cheer you up, here’s a list of 3 of the best fictional schools*, accompanied by a list of 3 of the worst fictional schools. Whichever helps to ease the pain of the coming autumnal onslaught. The kind of places you look to and wish you could attend — as well as the schools that should make you glad that hey, at least you’re not starting there this fall.

* Excluding our own Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children and Lovecraft Middle School, of course, which are clearly the greatest educational facilities in which you could ever possibly enroll, ahem. Anyway, where were we? Right. Moving on.

Computers and video games may be fun, but summer is the best time to get outdoors and active! Physical play has numerous benefits for kids and parents alike. The Art of Roughousing by Anthony T. DeBenedet, M.D. and Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D. includes tons of games, activities, and exercises for you and your child to try together.

The “Greek Catapult” is a particularly fun trick that launches your kid through the air onto his feet or a soft surface with the help of a spotter.