An all-ages bookstore called Courageous Books will open in downtown Dexter, Mich., later this year, the Sun Times News reported.
Owner Jen Stevenson, a longtime Dexter resident, has been dreaming of opening her own bookstore for about a decade and started seriously considering it roughly six years ago. She has four years of experience working at Schuler Books in Ann Arbor, Mich., and she has completed a bookstore management workshop and learned from mentors within the industry.
In addition to books, the store will serve coffee and tea, with Stevenson remarking that having a warm beverage while reading is "just a natural thing." She noted that having a coffee bar was not originally part of her plan, but decided to add one because it worked well with the space.
Stevenson's event plans include author readings, craft nights, writing workshops, and high school book fairs. She told the Sun Times News that she hopes the store will "be a third space for our community to just be together," and she is particularly enthusiastic "about getting young people engaged, because I think it's important, and I think they would like it."
Stevenson is aiming for an early fall opening.