Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab

The proliferation of chain stores in New York often means fewer and fewer of the mom-and-pop stores that give neighborhoods so much of their character and heart. In the past year alone, our neighborhood lost one independent bookshop to rising rent and taxes, and another downsized to a much smaller space to avoid an anticipated rent hike. Sadly, this same sort of story is playing out across the city. It makes me incredibly happy, then, to support independent shops like the charming Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab, a relative newcomer at the intersection of the Boerum Hill, Prospect Heights, and Park Slope neighborhoods in Brooklyn. We stopped in this past Saturday and left with a bag of new books to discover, making for a very happy weekend of family reading.

Stories has a well-curated selection of children’s literature for infants to young adults, with titles ranging from picture books to biographies to poetry and more. The husband and wife team who own the store have a clear passion for sharing the joy of reading and being read to with children, and we enjoyed chatting about the books we’re reading over and over again in our house lately (anything by Richard Scarry, as well as the classic Curious George books, which have been nightly favorites for over a year now), as well as fondly-remembered books from our own childhoods. The attractive displays make for easy browsing, and a few benches along the right-hand side of the store invite sitting and reading a few pages. In addition to books, there is a small section of book-themed merchandise including incredibly soft children’s shirts with the covers of classic titles like Curious George and Corduroy screen printed on the front.

Tucked away at the back of the shop is the Storytelling Lab, offering a range of children’s programming. Classes range from bookmaking and yoga to art and chess, and all of them sound like they’d be terrific fun. I can’t wait to see what’s on offer during the next session!

PS: Hungry after you stop by? Walk around the corner for delicious sandwiches and all sorts of enticing artisanal provisions at BKLYN Larder. Or wander around the corner and across the street for tasty doughnuts.

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