Autism Friendly Maplewood Bookshop A Finalist In National Contest

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — An independent bookstore in Maplewood, known for hiring employees with autism and for hosting an autism friendly environment, was named on Thursday as one of five finalists in a national competition run by trade publication Publishers Weekly.

[Words] Books on Maplewood Avenue was announced as one of the winners at an industry convention in Baltimore. They are the only finalist in New Jersey and one of only two on the East Coast.

According to a post on Publisher's Weekly website, the five finalists are, in alphabetical order:

2020 Finalists for PW Bookstore of the Year

• Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX)
• Copperfield’s Books (Sebastopol, CA)
• Full Circle Bookstore (Oklahoma City, OK)
• Porter Square Books (Cambridge, MA)
• [Words] Bookstore (Maplewood, NJ)

On Facebook, the bookstore posted, "Jonah Zimiles, who together with his wife, Ellen, are the owners of [Words] Bookstore, was at the keynote session when the announcement was made."

The pair said in a statement, "We could not be more thrilled for Maplewood, South Orange, and all of our neighboring towns, without whom we never would have received this remarkable recognition. It is truly a tribute to our wonderful customers, superb staff and the terrific atmosphere of our village. We also hope that this honor will help to encourage other businesses to welcome and hire individuals with autism. We are honored to be in such fine company as the other outstanding bookstores named as finalists.”

The contest has been run for 28 years.

Jim Milliot, the editorial director of Publishers Weekly, said, “The bookstores who reached the finals for this year’s awards represent a broad spectrum of general independent booksellers across the country that have weathered the changes that have roiled retailing in general and bookselling in particular. I find it heartening that year after year we find so many strong contenders for the Bookstore of the Year Award.”

Despite the popularity of e-books, independent bookstores have thrived in some areas. Two weeks ago, an independent bookstore in Hoboken, Little City Books, opened a second location.