Indie Bookstores
Picture of Doodle Bugs store front before it closed.
April 30th was Independent Book Store Day. As I thought about all the amazing people that have “indie” bookstores themselves, whether online or brick and mortar, it took me back to a simpler time…
The year is 1998, the place is Doodle Bugs. Doodle Bugs was a children’s bookstore with any children’s books for any age that you could possibly think of. I thought it was amazing! It was in Atchison, Kansas, a quaint town with a lot of history (and mystery—if you are interested in ghost stories) to go around. Fun fact: also, the birthplace of Amelia Earhart. I digress, let’s be honest, the store really wasn’t that big, but to me when I walked in there, the place seemed limitless. Just big enough to have adorable displays, but cozy enough that you wanted to curl up with one of your favorites and sit in there all day. I loved that place! An escape from the mundane. It had original hard wood floors, but accents of bright purple and green paint. It was dark and bright at the same time. Comfortable and homey, but everything was brand new, so it was exciting. You could find classics, but also titles you’d never seen before. There was always the element of surprise. It was also fun to feel independent enough to window shop by myself. And I ALWAYS found something to add to my wish list. A wish list that I am sure my mom wished would disappear!
You see, I was lucky enough to be able to go there often, especially in the summers, because my mom cut hair at the salon next door. If I got bored waiting for her to finish shampooing and styling her latest client or had swept up all the cut strands I could, I would ask to walk next door. I’m sure my mom liked me going next door too so I could get out of her hair (pun absolutely intended)!
I wonder if no matter what age you are or what era you grew up in, if the “good ol’ days” that you remember so fondly are just each of us embellishing how great a time it truly was. Or, if just maybe, places like Doodle Bugs held some childhood magic. Like the bell from Santa’s sleigh in the Polar Express, we wish we could capture that innocence once more. Either way, I hold a special place in my heart for that little bookstore. Even though I too like the convenience of ordering books online (and thank you to everyone who has ordered mine from this very website), if you get a chance, take your child to a local book shop, and watch them explore the endless possibilities words can bring. Let them find the magic on those shelves and perhaps let them start their own little wish list.
Did you have a favorite bookstore from your childhood, or do you have a favorite you visit now? Let me know in the comments below!
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An image that popped up while searching for a Doodle Bugs storefront picture…I was not kidding about the ghost stories in that small town!
