The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA-The American Association of University Women (AAUW) will hold its 59th annual book sale on February 23 through 25 at the Marcus Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla. The sale will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The book sale will feature approximately 40,000 items, including quality paperback and hardback fiction and nonfiction books, children's books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and collectibles. Patrons can find books for their reading pleasure and as gifts, from coffee table books, cookbooks, golden oldies, or the latest best-sellers.

The books are organized into 40 well-marked sections, including fiction, history, cookbooks, self-help, biographies, military history, western fiction, religion, art, science fiction, sports, and animals. Books in fiction (except Westerns) will be displayed alphabetically by author with a section for popular authors so shoppers can easily find their favorite authors. 

There will be a large selection of science fiction and fantasy books, graphic novels, and manga, approximately 2,000 titles. Classics from Star Wars, Star Trek, and other fun books from TV, movies, and computer games will be included. Popular authors include Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Neil Gaiman, and Terry Pratchett. Women science fiction authors, such as Marion Zimmer Bradley, Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey, and Mercedes Lackey, will be featured.

The young adult (YA) category will have over 1,500 titles. Young adult books are for 12 to 18-year-olds and have more adult themes than children's chapter books. The Harry Potter series is an example of YA, and The Goosebumps series are children's chapter books. Separating the YA section will make it easy for age-appropriate readers to find books and graphic novels they would enjoy. Popular authors to be located in the young adult section include Suzanne Collins, Garth Nix, Veronica Roth, Tamora Pierce, and Patrick Ness. 

Besides books, the young adult section will feature hundreds of paper comic books for one dollar each. Organizers suggest comic book fans come early because the comic books sold out on the first day of the sale last year. 

Customers will find affordable items, with most between fifty cents to four dollars. Prices start at fifty cents for sheet music, picture books and CDs are $1.00 each, DVDs are $2.00, paperbacks are $2.50, and hardbacks and audiobooks cost $4.00. Collectibles are priced individually. Credit and debit cards, checks, and cash payments will be accepted. Children 14 and under will be invited to choose a free book from the picture or chapter book categories. 

This year's selection of collectibles includes an impressive number of Northwest books and many hard-to-find titles. Signed copies, fine bindings, limited editions, and illustrated books are available for prices as low as six dollars.

Paper bags will be available for shoppers every day of the sale, but shoppers are encouraged to bring their bags on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, books will be priced at $15 per bag, using the provided paper bags to ensure standardized volume. Once a paper bag full of books is paid for, customers may transfer purchased books to their own bags.

Walla Walla is proud to be the largest AAUW branch in the state, with over 270 members. Anyone who joins the branch during the book sale will receive a discount on their membership.

The AAUW's mission is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. In the past 18 years, AAUW Walla Walla has given over $195,000 in scholarships to local high school women and local women returning to college. The organization awarded mini-grants of $176,367 to local educational programs and events. In 2023, fifteen women were each awarded $3000 in college scholarships for $45,000.

The sale provides countless children and adults in the community with reasonably priced books. Visit AAUW Book Sale Walla Walla on Facebook for book sale facts and happenings. For more information on the sale, AAUW, or scholarships, visit the AAUW Walla Walla website at aauwwallawalla.org. To apply for AAUW college scholarships, visit the Blue Mountain Community Foundation website at bluemountainfoundation.org.