As summer winds down and a new school year approaches, reading remains one of the most valuable ways to help children prepare for academic success. Beyond building vocabulary and comprehension skills, books foster curiosity, creativity, empathy, and critical thinking. Even just 15 to 20 minutes of daily reading can help children maintain learning momentum and strengthen their confidence as they return to the classroom.
Parents can encourage reluctant readers by letting children choose books that match their interests, whether that’s sports, graphic novels, mysteries, fantasy, or nonfiction. Reading together, discussing stories, and making regular trips to your local bookstore can help transform reading from a chore into an enjoyable habit. The goal is not simply to raise stronger readers, but to nurture a lifelong love of learning and discovery.
We are very fortunate to have beautiful and inviting bookstores right in our towns. I had the opportunity to speak to the owners of the Village Bookstore in Pleasantville, Make Believe Books in Armonk, and Scattered Books in Chappaqua. All shops have old-school, bookstore charm and appeal combined with modern features and conveniences, such as their own fulfillment systems. All three owners agree that nobody enters bookstore ownership for the money, but the satisfaction of hand selecting every title, their passion for books, and their relationships with their patrons, is priceless.
Scattered Books
Beyond its thoughtfully curated collection of books, there are many distinctive touches throughout Laura Schaefer’s shop, but perhaps none are more beloved than the Bookstore Bunnies, the shop’s unofficial mascots. Kids and adults alike love seeing Moo, Chip, and Chuck and she is in the process of writing children’s books about them in partnership with a local author. Meanwhile, follow their adventures on social media via @BookstoreBunnies.
Schaefer notices that a growing number of younger kids are moving away from silly, adventure books to historical, realistic fiction and even nonfiction, a more sophisticated trend. For adults, she started “Blind Date with a Book”, where books are beautifully wrapped with origami and bought based on description only without seeing or knowing the title. It is the literal act of not judging a book by its cover. Many people in book clubs pre-buy the books when it is their turn, have them wrapped, and distribute them. The same can be done for children’s book clubs. Each is thoughtfully assembled with carefully selected paper, ribbons, and details tailored to complement the book or match a customer’s chosen theme.
She also creates custom, themed gift baskets for all occasions. Customers select the books and specialty items available in the shop, which she then artfully arranges and wraps into beautifully curated baskets. Sharing the space with Whispering Pines of Chappaqua allows for an abundance of creative options, with flowers and gifts adding another layer of charm and personalization to the shop’s offerings. Schaefer also partners with the Chappaqua Public Library for author events, so check for upcoming programs at the store’s website below.
Visit them at: 29 King Street, Chappaqua, NY scatteredbooks.com
The Village Bookstore
Jennifer Kohn, owner of the Village Bookstore, who was browsing in the store before she became owner, recalls thinking, It would be great to own a bookstore. A lot of research went into her decision, as well as fortuitous timing. After speaking to the owners, she learned they were heading towards retirement, and she expressed interest in buying their shop when they were ready. That was in 2018, and the store continues to draw new audiences through its flourishing calendar of events and community engagement.
A fun-filled event is the annual Book Party. Every June, rising 5th-8th graders may come in for a drop-off party where they can talk about books, socialize, pick out books for camp, or make recommendations. Pizza and snacks are offered, and it is a great kick-off to summer. Parents can use that same idea to generate excitement for back-to-school. Bring kids in to pick out books and host a small book party to get them excited about reading.
There are also author events and conversation for adults in partnership with the Mount Pleasant Library in Pleasantville. Working in partnership with the Jacob Burns Film Center, there is a program called, “Silent Date with a Book” where certain evenings from 7-9 people bring a book and gather at the Take 3 wine bar upstairs at the Burns. For the first half hour people socialize a bit, then spend time quietly reading, and after they have the opportunity to discuss what they are reading. It is a multigenerational drop-in, so no registration required but check the store website below for specific dates and other events throughout the year.
Visit them at: 10 Washington Avenue, Pleasantville, NY thevillagebookstore.net
Make Believe Books
Store owner Laura Topolosky is optimistic that reading of actual books versus screen reading seems to be making a comeback. As schools throughout the country focus much of their budgets on keeping up with ever-emerging technology, many districts are rethinking the amount of time kids spend on devices and seem to be scaling back toward more paper and pencil work, and good, old-fashioned books.
“If you own a bookstore, you need to educate yourself,” Topolosky said. Local bookstores do not set the prices; publishers do, Amazon being the exception because they sell at a loss. For many people books are a luxury, but they are willing to spend more to shop local. For online shoppers, try ordering via a site called Bookshop.org. Local stores, including the stores featured here, have their own page, and while the site does not compete with Amazon pricing, buyers have the option to select their local bookstore which receives a small percentage of the sale at no charge. This is a great way to support your local shop with the convenience of online shopping. There is also Libro.FM which sells audiobooks and people may choose their local bookstore page and support them in the same way. Audiobooks are another growing trend among adults and kids alike.
Many parents ask how to get their child more engaged with books, and one of the most important ways is to be flexible and allow them to choose books of their interest, not what the parent wants them to read. Modeling reading and reading to kids helps, as they take their cues from adults, who spend a lot of time on screens. Bringing the children into the store to browse, pick up books and look through, also sparks their curiosity.
Topolosky also participates in reading events at schools and is in the process of expanding partnerships with the North Castle Public Library in Armonk for author events.
Visit them at: 15 Maple Avenue, Armonk, NY makebelievebooks.net
Overall Trends
TikTok’s “BookTok” community has become a major force in the literary world, bringing together readers who share reviews, recommendations, reactions, and discussions about books. Its influence has proven powerful enough to propel certain titles onto bestseller lists and spark renewed interest in others, and even preteens and teens come into the store, not only shopping for those books, but discussing them amongst one another. In particular for teenagers, Fantasy/Romantasy books are very popular. Parents may want to check some BookTokers not only to get ideas of books their child may enjoy, but also themselves.
Another growing trend is the expansion of graphic novels. Once mainly relegated to the primary grades, graphic novels are very popular for pre-teens and older, with complex plots and characters. For younger readers, the illustrations help give context to vocabulary and story, and they often reread them, which is less often done with books with only text. It can encourage reluctant readers and gives them a feeling of accomplishment. Even lengthy classics such as The Odyssey and Watership Down are increasingly being reintroduced as graphic novels, offering condensed and visually driven adaptations for modern readers. Even more sophisticated and lengthy novels by Rick Riordan and Stuart Gibbs are being released in graphic format. These books provide an entry point and are finding new audiences, and oftentimes when the children get older, they will read the originals. Today’s kids live in a visual world, and graphic novels spark discussion and interest.
