Cleary's Bookstore, a new and used bookstore with titles for all ages, opened earlier this month in Mount Holly, N.C., the Gaston Gazette reported.
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| Cleary's owner Alison Sheridan with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. | |
Store owner Alison Sheridan, who has a master's degree in publishing and previously worked for Penguin Random House as well as at University Book Store in Seattle, Wash., described her vision for the store as a "place for readers of all ages to find their favorite books and either continue their love of literature or discover the joy of reading."
The bookstore came about quickly--Sheridan created her business plan in July and signed a lease at 105 N. Main St. in September. Though she was able to get the bookstore open in time for the holidays, she noted that it's still a work in progress, with more fixtures yet to be set up and more work to be done on the children's room.
She'll start hosting events next year, with the store's first author signing scheduled for January 19 with local author Christy Healy. Other event plans include book club meetings and storytime sessions.
Sheridan named the bookstore after Beverly Cleary, telling the Gazette: "Her entire mission in life was basically just to get books in kids' hands so that they would learn to love reading as much as she did, because she was a librarian from the Pacific Northwest. And her mission is very aligned with mine. Just kind of promoting a culture of reading, because I think that reading is the best way for you to find a sense of the world without having to leave your room."
The Mount Holly community has proven to be full of readers who are "so excited to have bookstores. They're so excited to spend their days at the shop and reading, and we've had a lot of families locally that are regulars already."