So, to all you indies I've visited who have a bookstore cat and think it's special? HA! Time to up your game! And no, adding one more won't do it. The staff has several former teachers working here and their experience in that profession is surely helpful in this mostly children's bookstore. These people as well as other staffers were all fun to talk to and hear about this unique store. I also enjoyed meeting owner and co-founder, Collette. But, hey, what other indie can lay claim to that? I had a great visit with Toffer and Kristen, two of the fine staffers here.
At one time they even had a pig in the store but that only lasted a couple of days. Ferrets, rats, cats, birds, lizards, fish, and others all reside here in perfect harmony with a great inventory of books for young readers. I think this is the first time I've ever seen a silky chicken. This is the one indie I've visited that we talked very little about books and in this case, more about the animals. What a great way to get kids and families to visit a bookstore! Every Monday morning at 10:30 is a weekly story time that is very well attended. The store is very active with author events held on site, usually on Saturdays. Teachers get a 20% discount on any purchase, whether using it for classroom use or just their own personal reading. Very engaged with the community, the schools, and the teachers. This one-level bookstore located in the Linden Hills neighborhood has been here for 22 years and is going strong. There are several sidelines available but again, all mostly designed with kids in mind as the most important customers. They also offer some current adult fiction and non-fiction but that is a very small portion of the book inventory. The focus with the books is from babies through young adult literature. And even if there were animal smells I doubt if it would bother the kids. I was concerned about my cat allergies and the smells that might be here in the store but I didn't notice either. Everything from the miniature front door to the various animals, to the sidelines offered with kids in mind. Make no mistake, this indie caters to and for kids. And watch your step - you could just as easily step on a silky chicken as a toddler chasing it. So reader when you visit here, take a double anti-histamine, a deep breath, and enter an incredible indie that you should view as if through the eyes of a child. After all, the inventory here includes 22 animals, and some of them freely wander the store. Until you turn out the light and it becomes a glow in the dark aquarium! Heck, maybe I shouldn't even call it a bookstore. This independent bookstore sets a new bar for "seeing everything." This includes a bathroom with what appears to be an ordinary mirror on the wall above the sink. If I stay on this journey long enough I'll see everything. I've said it before and I'll say it again. (Like The Indie Bob Spot on Facebook and follow The Indie Bob Spot on Twitter)
0 kommentar(er)
