Saturday, April 25 was Canadian Independent Bookstore Day, and my son and I celebrated with a visit to a local kid-focused bookstore – Kinder Books in New Westminster, British Columbia!
Local author/illustrator Vicky Fang started us off with a reading and drawing demonstration celebrating her spunky first-grader Ava Lin. My kiddo is in first grade, just like Ava Lin, so it was extra fun to share in some of her fun adventures!
Vicky also shared one of her stem-focused books, ALPHABOT, which my kiddo immediately fell head over heels for. We had to buy a copy the moment Vicky finished her demonstration.
After the author visit, we took part in a fantastic creative activity, making our own colorful paper bouquets!
There was a scavenger hunt (with books as prizes!!), a “doodle booth” where folks could get fun doodle portraits made, and fantastic sales on amazing books!
Independent bookstores are absolutely critical parts of our communities, supporting marginalized and underrepresented voices, championing local artists and creatives, and providing affordable events for families in an increasingly expensive city. Kinder Books and other independent bookstores are owned and staffed by passionate, knowledgable booklovers who want to connect people with the best books for them. We need independent bookstores, and the only way they can continue to survive and thrive is if we put our money where our mouth is and do our shopping in our communities.
Speaking of shopping…look! My book is on sale! If you’ve ever wanted to add this adorable, movement-based picture book to your home library, now is the time! My first book baby, WILD ONE, is on sale, too! Books are expensive (just like everything these days, yikes!!), so if you can find books on sale, take advantage of every chance to save your hard earned money while supporting local booksellers.
Did you celebrate independent bookstore day at one of your local independent bookstores? If you have a favourite bookstore, I’d love to learn about it! Some of my other local favourites are Black Bond Books / Book Warehouse, Kidsbooks, The Bookman, and Russell Books – shop local, shop small, shop independent!