Use the news: Book sale bonanza

Lesson for grades 9-12

The coronavirus epidemic has had huge impact on businesses across the United States and around the world.

Lockdown orders have forced businesses toshutdownor reduce hours, andsomehavehadtoclose altogether. In NewYork City, the Strand Bookstore faced that fate recentlywhen it announced that a 70percent dropin saleshadmade the business “unsustainable.”

OwnerNancyBassWydenasked supporters to “mobilize the community” to “#savethestrand” by doing holiday shopping early. The response was overwhelming for the93-year-old store thathadbeen started byWyden's grandfather.

Theweekendafterher plea, customers placed more than 25,000 orders online, bringing in more than $170,000 in sales. In-person shopping also was up at the Strand's two New York City locations. Theinfluxof revenue solved theStrand'scashcrunch— fornow.

Wyden told the Washington Post she hoped to keep the store open until the end of the year and then re-evaluate. She said, however, that shewould not “give up without a fight.”

ACTIVITY: Businesses are trying new things to survive in the face of the coronavirus epidemic. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about a business that has done this. Use what you read to prepare a twominuteTVnewsreportaboutwhat the business has done. Write an outline for your report, including images you would use. Then write the text for your report. Read the text aloud and time it to make sure it does not run longer than two minutes. Present your report to classmates, family or friends.

TIMES JEENAH MOON/THENEWYORK Nancy BassWyden, the owner of the Strand bookstore, greets customers at itsUnion Square location on Oct. 25. People line up outside the NewYork bookstore after its owner announced on social media that its revenuewas down nearly 70% fromlast year and that the business had become unsustainable due to the pandemic.