Today’s musing features a real magical bookstore where readers of all ages give and receive books. The right books always arrive to delight all who visit and work at the store. 

 

Image of book cover "A Wrinkle in Time." 

Magic in the Bookstore 

“Do you have a children’s section?” the mother asked, as her lookalike daughter stood beside her fidgeting. I supposed the quiet and curious girl was 10 years old.

    We showed the new customers the way.

    We breezed through the front room filled with fiction; passed by cookbooks, gardening, art, biography, and local history; and veered right at mysteries. The children’s section awaited. A small owl lamp gave off a soft white glow. The cloth bean bag and toddler-size chairs were empty that day. Young customers made themselves at home, which meant picture books scattered everywhere and misshelved books. Chapter stories, graphic style novels and comics, and young adult all lived together.

    Board books for toddlers took over the knee-high shelves. Puzzles of 500, 1,000, and 5,000 pieces rested on the highest shelves. Our wooden rack displayed popular series like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

    Our pair that day were searching for a specific book: “A Wrinkle in Time.” At the heart of this science fiction story is Meg, a young girl who learned to believe in herself. I re-read Madeleine L’Engle’s book as an adult, and it holds up. It’s recommendable not only to middle-grade readers but also to middle-aged readers. All ages might enjoy this classic. 

    Like magic, a gently used paperback edition of L’Engle’s book had arrived earlier that day among the many donations. My co-worker had not yet shelved the copy, still in her hand. She gave it to the young girl whose smile was “thank you” enough. I knew they’d be back.

    Donation day was busy because residents brought boxes and bags of books for donation. Residents carrying book laden tote bags in each hand tottered like a child on a seesaw. Often, people stopped by the store with donations instead of the large stone house across the street, which serves as our collection center.  

    In the past, I worked the three-hour shift unloading carloads of donations. It’s chilly work—inside and outside—the old cold stone house. But don’t imagine the frozen house in Dr. Zhivago. Our house smells old—a stale scent of hundreds of dusty, musty books. 

    We take tombs of all genres and ages. Yesterday, the inventory included a book published in 1921 that had an inscription dated 1954. But that’s not the oldest book we’ve received. We don’t sell rare, valuable collector’s items in the store. They are handled separately, but the sale proceeds benefit the community library. 

    Some people looked sad when they handed over their donations–I realized they were likely grieving for the loved ones who once owned these books. Books like memories were well cared for and revered.  

  I hoped the people I met were comforted because their books were headed to new homes. Other donors were downsizing or moving. Donors have made hard decisions about what books to give away. Some donors rush away, others linger, pausing to thank us.

    Many promised to return soon with more books.  

    I wish everyone could share the joy after a reader reunited with a favorite book. Or experience the excitement of having met a new author. Or run their fingers across the glossy pages of a vintage cookbook. Or witness the delight on a young girl’s face when she finds the book she sought.

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Footnote: The indie used bookstore is a nonprofit entity whose proceeds benefit the local library. 

Next up: I'm returning to that memorable Girl Scout hike because I found a clue leading me to historic trails and mythical creatures.