A Reading Community: A Love Letter to Local Independent Bookstores, a guest post by Heather Del Piano

“When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does.” – You’ve Got Mail

As a sixth-grade reading teacher, I feel empathy for my students being in a state of transition from childhood to adolescence. A transition which most people I know have no desire to relive. Most people recoil in horror when I mention that I teach middle school and that is one of the reasons I wanted to work with their age group. Middle schoolers need adults to listen to them, help them, support them, and connect with them so they don’t feel so alone. It is arguably the most difficult time in a person’s life and books helped me get through those years. Back in the 90s, middle-grade publishing was not as robust as present day. For a brief time I went through the Christopher Pike books, all of The Baby-Sitters Club series, as well as Sweet Valley High. After The Face on the Milk Carton, I jumped straight to adult fiction although I always found time to reread The Little Women each year. 

I believe in the power of the right book at the right time. There is such a wide variety of middle-grade books available now and it takes some sifting to find that just right book. That is where teachers, librarians, and booksellers come to the rescue. Each student possesses a unique level of maturity, making it necessary for me to understand their individual preferences to provide recommendations that suit their taste and reading level. Given that my students have the freedom to choose their own reading materials, I strive to keep my library updated and diverse. However, it’s challenging to keep up with the changing interests of my students. This is where The Curious Reader, a local children’s bookstore in Glen Rock, New Jersey, comes to my rescue.

Book lovers can’t help but feel enchanted upon walking into The Curious Reader. After my first visit several years ago, I got the same magical feeling as seeing The Shop Around the Corner in You’ve Got Mail. The store is a colorful haven of books that caters to kids of all ages, including kids at heart. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and talented at offering personalized recommendations. The variety of books available is remarkable, with beautiful editions of unique and intriguing books. The staff recommendation cards and displays are useful in highlighting books that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. I love discovering books there that I had no awareness of prior to walking into the store. Their Instagram stories are equally helpful in showcasing titles that deserve attention, more so than at bigger retailers. The middle-grade market is constantly evolving, with new micro-trends and interests emerging every day. Since the owners interact with their clientele, they have their fingers on the pulse of what middle-grade readers want.

What sets The Curious Reader apart is that they give kids the autonomy to explore and discover books on their own. This helps to instill a sense of agency and ownership in young readers, making reading a pleasurable experience. Around the age of 12-13, there is often a decline in interest in reading. Local bookstores like The Curious Reader, as well as librarians and teachers, play a crucial role in keeping the joy of reading alive for longer. Personal recommendations and word-of-mouth marketing are highly effective in driving book interest, particularly among middle-grade students. One standout of my interview with Chris, one of the owners of The Curious Reader, was his observation about how certain kids become micro-influencers and spread the word about great books, creating demand for titles. The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln is one such book that has gained popularity through recommendations at the store. It immediately rang true for me as I can see how friends can talk up a book and create a waiting list for titles in my classroom library. This school year, the Tommy Greenwald sports books (Dinged, Game Changer, and Rivals) have been passed around for months, never spending more than a school day on the shelf.

Books can be both deeply personal as well as communal. We can connect with one another over books, as well as talk about issues and serious topics through book discussions. The community we build inside the classroom is as important as creating a welcoming community in our neighborhoods. The Curious Reader has been an integral part of our community for the past ten years. They host the annual Glen Rock Children’s Book Festival, which brings together authors, educators, and anyone passionate about children’s literature. The store also hosts book launches and graphic novel art workshops aimed explicitly at the middle-grade audience. The passion for young readers runs deep in The Curious Reader, and it shows in their commitment to fostering a love of reading in children. Although social media and big retailers may not be giving as much love to middle grade books, there is still a robust community of people personally invested in keeping this genre alive.

Meet the author

Heather Del Piano is a 6th grade ELA teacher from New Jersey. She also serves on her local library board and shares her passion for stories with anyone who will listen. She can typically be found sipping on tea, sending snail mail, writing magical stories, reading any and all versions of Peter Pan, and hiding gnomes throughout her garden for her husband to discover.

Filed under: Guest Post