Remembering Woolworth's: A Nostalgic History of the World's Most Famous Five-And-Dime

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Summary: A WARM LOOK BACK AT DIME-STORE MEMORIES
Review: A penny for our thoughts? More like a nickel and dime. Back before Woolworth's closed, you would have been able to buy this book there . . . along with a package a hair nets, a package of socks, the latest 45, genuine polyester bloomers, parakeet food, the cheapest eye shadow and lipstick known to woman (and an occasional man), and, at those special stores with a famous Formica-topped lunch counter, a grilled cheese and Coca-Cola. Today, Woolworth's is a mere memory to those middle-classers who spent time and money there. Woolworth's may have closed in 1997 (after 188 years of business), but author Karen Plunkett-Powell keeps the legacy alive as she takes readers on a nostalgic stroll down the aisles stocked with this and that. The reminiscences and recollections from die-hard customers add a warm touch but it's the test and photos take make the trip worth it.

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Summary: Remembering Woolworth's
Review: For the baby boom generation, Woolworth's is a place of happy memories. From ice cream to records to toys. Woolworth's was the place to go. Remembering Woolworth's is a blast from the past about a delightful store that is gone but never forgotten. Remembering Woolworth's chronicles the origin of the stores and the importance of Woolworth's to our nation's history.

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Summary: Wish I could give 10 stars
Review: If you're old enough to remember sitting at the counter of Woolworth's, ordering a cheeseburger deluxe, then this book is for you. It's a great chance to reminiscence about the "old red front". But the surprise is it's also a great tale of perseverance and leadership-great reading for the business world!

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Summary: Nostalgia Is Her Middle Name
Review: Karen Plunkett-Powell provides an in-depth look at the making of an American Icon, but also captures the essence of what each of us remembers about our favorite five and dime. The scope of Ms. Plunkett-Powell's knowledge of Frank Woolworth and his business makes for a very intersting read, but she never let's us forget why we loved Woolworth's. Remembering Woolworth's is chocked full of photos and information about the five and dime empire's trek across the world - a great resource as well as a wonderful story.

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Summary: Take a trip down memory lane - thanks to Ms. Plunkett-Powell
Review: Ms. Karen Plunkett-Powell's book is a joy to read, with great pictures. It follows the rise and fall of Woolworth's; sharing behind-the-scenes history that most people wouldn't know. BUT MOST IMPORTANT -- it brought back more memories than I realized I had forgotten of my child and teenage years and reminded me of just how many important things my family (and probably yours!) purchased from Woolworth's. My Woolworth's was in downtown Bradenton Florida, but reading the book I realized that people all over the USA and some foreign countries have many of the same memories that I do of Woolworth's -- parakeets, goldfish and hamsters, coke-floats and grilled cheese sandwiches, the 25-cent photo booth, parfume and cosmetics, the candy counter, comic books, my first watch, my first musical jewelry box, seasonal clothing, hula-hoops and batons, tennis shoes and flip-flop sandals, portable typewriters, play guns and dolls -- but most of all, Woolworth's was our Christmas Store. As the daughter of a 29-year Woolworth's saleslady, Woolworth's was where I wandered as a child, searching out all the things I hoped Santa would bring. Revive your memories -- this book sure is a trip down memory lane! Highly Recommended!

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Summary: Memories of a Depression Kid
Review: Reading Karen's book, "Remembering Woolworth's" is an opportunity to step back in time for those of us lucky enough to have known Woolworth's while growing up. I loved visiting the fish and canaries, drinking milkshakes at the counter, and looking through the make-up dept. Reading her book is like strolling down the aisles again, bringing back a flood of nostalgic memories! Alas, a shopping experience too soon gone in our American culture. It is fascinating to know the history and the vision behind this successful business. In depth research and a great read!

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Summary: Childhood memories across the generations
Review: Remembering Woolworth's is a delightful book that brings back crisp memories of buying yarn and crochet thread of every color, embroidered hankies for Mother's Day, and grilled cheese sandwiches for a treat -- plus a free view of the goldfish and the canaries. This oh-so-enjoyable book also unfolds the story of the man behind the name, the employees around the world, and the personal tidbits of history that make you realize this was one special place in time. Treat yourself!

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Summary: A particularly readable book!
Review: Remembering Woolworth's is full of history, photos and memories of the old stores. It is a particularly readable book, and I especially enjoyed reading about the Woolworth store's overseas, as well as about Frank Woolworth's early years as a struggling merchant. I recommend this book for anyone who ever stepped foot inside a Woolworth's, or for those interested in how one man's ideas changed the world of retailing.

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Summary: Fresh popcorn smell filled the air.
Review: There was a F.W.Woolworths in my home town in Maynard,Massachusetts back in the 50's and 60's. I used to shop for my Mother there. You could get anything from a needle and thread to pet food to plastic toys to glassware to school supplies to 45rpm records. My friends and I used to meet there after school. I used to duck into the storefront from summer rainstorms. The smell of fresh popcorn filled the air. Friendly people were always there to help you find whatever you needed. The absence in America of stores such as Woolworths is a sign of the times. I now live in Lancaster,PA and I met Ms Powell while she researched the home town of F.W.Woolworth. I was happy to meet her and share my stories with her. She was delightful and very interesting. If you're a sentimentalist you need to go back in time and relive those days when we enjoyed shopping for the everyday items that we sometimes dread going to stores for today.

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Summary: Brought back my love for malted milk...
Review: This book brought back so many memories - and I'm only 41! It's
fun to read, with a layout that mixes photos, anecdotes, drawings, and personal reminscences - almost like a magazine. Reading this book makes you realize that Woolworth's was everything Kmart and Wal-Mart are not - charming, inviting, and much more than a place to get a bargain. Author Karen Plunkett-Powell captures the Americana, the nostalgia, and the details that make us all smile when we remember Woolworth's. For me, it was about recalling the malted milks my aunt used to buy me at the counter when I was small, and the quick gifts I used to pick up for friends and my children from the Woolworth's that used to be located downstairs from an office building where I worked for many years. So many of our everyday experiences nowadays are empty -- do yourself a favor and travel back to a simpler yet more meaningful time by reading this book or buying it for a friend. It's not a typical boring history book -- and it makes a GREAT gift for the senior citizen in your life who you never know what to get for a present -grandma, a relative in a nursing home, a neighbor who signs for your packages or whatever - even if that person is not the type to sit down and read a book, they'll have so much fun leafing through it.