One this stop of our Independent Bookstore Tour, Bonnie and I found ourselves in Decatur Georgia. Home of the annual AJC Decatur Book Festival, which has become the largest Independent book festival in the country! So, this amazing and vibrant city square was the perfect location for our next visit.
In order to set the stage properly for this particular visit, I must tell you . . . it was freaking freezing. Just to prove it, within 48 hours of our visit, all of metro Atlanta was covered in snow. So, I’m not exaggerating.
As Bonnie and I walked, briskly, through Decatur Square, we marveled at all of the restaurants and shops. All of them looking incredibly inviting as the sleet bounced off our faces. But we were on a mission, and when we finally arrived at Little Shop of Stories and I peeked inside, the deep chill melted from my bones.
Sunny bright yellow walls surrounded me, every square foot covered in autographed illustrations from authors and illustrators. This store was not only the largest we’d visited so far, but the most colorful and brightly lit. Almost as though the store was sparkling against a grey winter backdrop. Like a shiny new penny. (Seriously, part of the floor is gorgeous mosaic pennies.)
For those of you who know me, I love two things: color and themes. So Little Shop of Stories checked many of my boxes. Especially considering everywhere I turned was another corner of the store dedicated/curated from a different children’s book. Including everything from murals, to furniture, to complete rooms! My favorite? Why, Platform 9 3/4 of course!
On par for our tour, we met the super helpful Justin, store manager. He walked us around, showing us the different sections, the loft area for parties and book clubs, answered our questions and gave us some history behind some of his favorite books at the moment.
A fantastic characteristic I noticed about the store, and Decatur in general, was the support for other local businesses. Justin was quick to tell us other indie bookstores in the neighborhood we should put on our tour. Even signage around the store encouraged customers to buy and read local. Supporting community authors, artists, and businesses is very important to me . . . especially as a local author. 🙂
One of my most favorite features of this particular bookstore was the little handwritten notes I found scattered everywhere. The owners encourage staff to write reviews of books they read and display them on the shelves with the books. How amazing is that?
While this is absolutely a children’s bookstore, but I highly recommend you visit if you enjoy whimsical enviroments or want to revive your childlike joy and enthusiasm for reading. This bookstore is everything you want from a local, indie business – it’s unique, has a helpful and knowledgeable staff, and the overall feel of the place is incredibly personal. And if you have kids, wether they like to read or not, you need to bring them just so they can get lost in their imagination. I can’t wait to visit again next August when I attend the Indie Book Festival.
If you want to learn more about different events and author readings Little Shop of Stories host, make sure you click here. My tour buddy, Bonnie Clark, is a children’s author herself, so if you want to read her take on our visit, click here! Thanks again to Justin and Little Shop of Stories for being such a warm host on such a frigid winter day.
The Door Keeper Trilogy 
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