Books of Wonder's Owner 'Takes His Business Uptown'

TimeOut New York showcased Peter Glassman, owner of Books of Wonder, who decided last fall "to take his business uptown with a new location on W. 84th Street.... Since then, he's been busy turning his second space into a literary hub for young ones in the community, much like the original store in Chelsea."

"I think it's more important than ever in our electronic world where we don't really touch, meet or interact with people's lives, and this gives people that wonderful opportunity to do that," Glassman said. "It's a place for people to meet, discuss and share their love of literature--discover new books, new voices and new ideas."

As he has done with his flagship store, Glassman "is hoping to work alongside schools in the spring and fall to create literary festivals where he closes down the shop for students and their families, brings in authors, and works alongside schools to bulk up their bookshelves. He is also collaborating with local organizations for exciting events but cannot reveal the details just yet," TimeOut noted.

"Children's books are so varied and there are so many titles that just a regular bookstore can carry such a tiny percentage of the titles and the staff has to know everything; they can't just be devoted to children's books," Glassman said. "I think it's important for kids to have a place to go to and say, 'This is for me.' "

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