Downtown Raleigh children's bookstore seeks support for next steps

The bookstore, which sits a couple of blocks from Marbles Kids Museum on Hargett Street, opened three years ago and has featured a selection of books for kids — from board books and picture books to young adult novels.

The space also includes an art gallery and workshop space, which, before the pandemic, was a popular spot for children's birthday parties, summer camps and other programs for kids.

But, as the pandemic continues, that space has remained empty, according to a press release. Foot traffic is down as much as 80%. And businesses around the store have closed down.

Read With Me owner Christine Brenner has decided that the best way forward is to turn that workshop space into a book corner for adults. Expanding to include other books was always part of Brenner's long-term vision. It's just happening more quickly than she expected. She's launched a GoFundMe online fundraising campaign to raise money.

“During COVID, I’ve seen a lot of bookstores around the country turn to their community for support through GoFundMe and it inspired us to do the same," Brenner said in the press release. "The outpouring of support we’ve received the past few years and especially the past few months has been so heartwarming. We truly appreciate our community so much and believe this change will be the best way for us to serve you all in the short and long term. We’re so lucky to be a part of this downtown community and this GoFundMe is one of several steps we are taking to ensure we’re here for the long term.”

Brenner has worked hard to continue to connect with readers since March. She has been hosting virtual programs, including a middle grade virtual book club now. And she plans to continue to offer online creative resources until its safe to meet in-person again.

“There are so many local resources for education, story time and creativity, like Kid Lab, Wake County Library, Marbles, and many more," she said in the release. "Our focus the next few months will be to highlight and support those creators and focus our limited resources on the bookshop.”

Read With Me is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday for pop-in shopping and private shopping appointments. It also offers free local drop-off to addresses in Raleigh, Cary, Apex and Garner.

Brenner encourages us all to shop local whenever possible.

“This is not a situation that any business could have been preparing for, but now that we’re all in this together, it’s important to support one another," she said. "This is a community, not a competition and the best thing for everyone is that we all get through this as safely as possible.”