Across from Wawa in Yardley borough, there is a new beautiful bookstore called "Commonplace Reader," which is owned by long-time resident, Liz Young. It is a neat space with two floors offering a wide variety of genres! The second floor has a very colorful and inviting area for children that includes a fun train set and a cozy reading nook. Check out their website and Facebook page and be sure to subscribe to Macaroni Kid Lower Bucks to keep up-to-date with Commonplace Reader's author events, book clubs and other special events. Here's our Q&A:
Downtown Yardley is a great choice for a business - but anything specific attract you to Main Street?
Yardley has been my home town since I moved here almost 30 years ago and it is such a nice community that I would not think of any other place to open a bookstore! Opening Commonplace Reader is a way to share my love of reading and give the borough a place to think, connect, be inspired and explore on their own and with others.
Tell me about the books that you offer in Commonplace Reader.
We have adult fiction and non-fiction with several sub-genres and the same for young adults and children. My team and I review every book we buy and try to anticipate who might be interested and how many to order. We take all special order requests - if a book is in print and our distributor or publisher has copies we will order and call when it arrives in the shop. Our website has an on line ordering function which some people have tried and it works great! If we have the book we pull it from the shelf and hold it for you. If we do not have it in stock we order and will call when it arrives.
Can you tell me about the book club for kids?
Ms Christy (a resident of Yardley) is starting a book club on November 8th for kids registered in Kindergarten through 2nd Grade. We read the book together the first meeting; finish it over the next four weeks and then discuss and get the next book started and finish at home. This helps everyone to read out loud and encourages sharing the stories and plot with their friends.
Do you have other upcoming events?
I am very excited to have so many people who write and read......... right here in Yardley / Lower Makefield. We have three local author events that are coming in November; a poetry reading with Katherine Cartwright, her book is call Claws of Uthurunku on November 2nd; a Young Adult Event on November 9th with 2 authors, Alex Villasante and Katherine Locke. They will discuss their books : The Grief Keeper and It's a Whole Spiel. A third event is planned for December 3rd with Sara Colvin to discuss her book Breaking Free. We are kicking off a Young Adult Book Club November 17th with Local Author Laura Sibson who will talk about her debut novel and our first book titled The Art of Breaking Things. We have a holiday themed story time with Pam Morris and Kristin Reilly for 3 - 5 year olds. on Saturday December 7th.
Do you have any tips for encouraging children to read?
Kids do things that parents enjoy doing when as families they can do them together, appreciate each other and have a pleasant time. Parents who read to their kids, share stories and listen to their kids stories will likely have readers like themselves. Encouraging a child to read whatever they like or are interested in is the key. Graphic novels, science fiction, history, non-fiction and fantasy are all great reading experiences for kids - it opens their minds to a great wealth of potential ideas and connections in the world. Parent who encourage their children to take risks in their reading will have children that are independent and interesting adults!
Are there any upcoming releases in children’s books or YA that you are excited about?
There is a great selection in the store and we are getting new releases every week. Publishers pull out all the stops this time of year and it is a great time to add to your child's and family's book collection. We have two catalogs for Holiday Shopping and for Children’s Books, as well as the monthly Indie Best Sellers List. The publications/lists/info are in the store and on our website.
Who are your favorite authors?
I have too many favorites to name; different authors have appealed to me at different times in my life and like most every day experiences it is hard to say what was most salient. What is most important about a well written book is that it speaks to me in the moment and helps me see things at least slightly differently so that I can learn, move on or make peace with my choices.
(Photo: Liz Young with her daughter Hillary)
