Category: Inspiration

With a new baby comes a lot of quiet time at all hours of the night. It’s a time for me to think, a time to snuggle, a time to troll the internet, and a time for me to binge watch Netflix on my iPad. Sorry books, but I’ve fallen asleep on more than one occasion. When I’m not glued to watching the entire series of Gilmore girls, I’ll often peruse Facebook and Twitter, catching up on the latest scoop. The other night I saw a tweet by Candlewick Press, asking, “What made you a child of books?”. Where do I begin?

The question itself elicits so many thoughts in my head. I love the idea that my own children will be surround by and raised on books. I love it so much, I have a poster promoting Oliver Jeffers latest book, (signed by him and Sam Winston, which makes it even cooler) in my son’s room. My son doesn’t know it yet, but he too will be a child of books. My three year old is surrounded by stories, whether from books or simply ones from our imaginations. “Tell me a story”, she often says. And we abide. When she isn’t behaving, we threaten to take away a book before bed. We’ve only had to follow through once, and I’ve never seen her little heart so broken. When we go to a restaurant or a doctors appointment, there is always a book in the toy bag. My favorite is when she brings the Frozen chapter book that she took from my classroom over the summer, solely because Anna and Elsa were on the cover. She “reads” the book cover to cover, using intonation and voices for the characters, retelling the plot of the movie. It makes her teacher mama proud. We have books scattered around our house; they are in every room. My children are literally children of books.

Then I started thinking about myself as a reader. I don’t remember actually learning to read, it was just a natural hobby in our house. Growing up, my dad and my sister were wonderful role models of what voracious readers look like. Still to this day, there hasn’t been a single Christmas where books weren’t wrapped beneath the tree.

When I think back to what made me a child of books, it wasn’t just having good role models, or a mother that would take me to the library whenever she could, but it was the actual books themselves. I don’t remember how old I was, but one year for my birthday my aunt and uncle had bought me my first chapter book series, the original “The Kids of the Polk Street School.” I had crossed over from picture books and I was in the big league with my new chapter book series. They started my love affair with books, and to this day, they are proudly displayed on my bookshelf at home. There was something about these books that fulfilled my infatuation. They were a series, they were just right, they had actual plots and continuation, and they were sparkly and new. I was hooked. Other books have come and gone, other series became the “it” books of the time, and other favorites have emerged. But I’ll never forget those kids of The Polk Street School. They’re forever in my heart.

Cheers, where everybody knows your name. Who has or has longed for that place where you walk in and everyone does actually know you and your name? Well, I have that place, but it’s not a bar, it’s a children’s bookstore, called Second Start To The Right, in the city I live, Denver.

I moved to this city over a year ago knowing not many people. I was told about this magical bookstore in Denver that I had to check out. I went the next week. I walked into the wonderfully name Second Star To The Right and I fell in love. The place is magical! It is a transformed house with a room dedicated to picture books, board books, and chapter books. Hidden throughout are comfy chairs and reading nooks. Most recently they’ve added an educational toy room and a Wild Rumpus Party room.

I was immediately hooked as a mother and teacher. I go to Second Star so often I am friendly with most of the staff. The owner, Dea, and husband, Marc, have been so kind to me and my son over the last year. We’ve talked books, they let me run a book club for kids over the summer, and Marc also came to my school dressed as Cat in The Hat to read to the students for World Read Aloud Day!

If you are ever in Denver you need to go to Second Star, but maybe if you can’t get to Denver, seek out other local bookstores. The feeling I get helping a small business is rewarding enough, but establishing a rapport makes it that much more worthwhile every time I visit.  

I checked my email a few weeks ago and I received an invitation to Second Star’s Friendsgiving. An event they created to invite their family, friends and favorite customers. They served food, had the kids run around their backyard and store after hours, and had crafts available for the kids. Declan and I went and had a blast, making new friends and chatting with old ones we’ve made this past year.

To my Second Star Friends, I thank you for all you’ve done for me this year and look forward to our many magical years of friendship.