Children's bookstore The Story Garden to debut next month in Historic Uptown
/The cozy store has sections for children and parents to sit and enjoy books | st. pete rising
Big news for little readers! A new children’s bookstore is opening its doors next month in Historic Uptown.
The Story Garden will bring a world of stories, adventure, and imagination to St. Pete on March 1st when it debuts at 832 14th Street North.
Founder and owner Megan Kotsko recently gave St. Pete Rising a tour of the store, which is largely retail with a dedicated space reserved for weekly events.
The shop will carry over 1,500 titles for babies, toddlers, early readers, middle grades, and parents.
Kotsko says events will be a huge focus for The Story Garden, offering story times, book clubs for kids, art classes, and more. There will also be a program for toddlers called Play Me A Story. Each one-hour class will feature a read-aloud followed by intentional play experiences tailored to extend the story’s content and build connections to the world.
“I want to be driven by our mission, which is really to have every child be able to come into our store and find a book that reflects their life, be it their culture, their religion, their ethnicity, their passions, and their interests,” said Kotsko, a former kindergarten and first-grade teacher and current stay-at-home mom.
little benches and nooks in the store | st. pete rising
She and her husband, Jason, and their two children live just down the street from The Story Garden.
“This was always a dream of mine,” Kotsko said. “After watching ‘You’ve Got Mail’ years ago, I fell in love with the dream of one day running a children’s bookstore like The Shop Around the Corner — one that puts children’s interests and their innate gravitation toward immersing themselves into the world of story first; a store that was established for and fueled by the love of books for the youngest of readers.”
Cozy reading nooks and benches are found throughout the shop, which will also sell games, toys, cards, and reading accessories. There’s also an outdoor patio for guests to enjoy.
Local artist and owner of REJuled Julie Falzarano has adorned the back wall with a mural inspired by the children’s book Maybe by Kobi Yamada which is a story about the endless potential in all of us.
The books widley range from popular reads to books about animals, education, and books celebrating Black History And different holidays | st. pete rising
Kotsko said she’s glad that she and her husband were able to restore the old building, which could have easily been torn down, and improve their local community.
Her research revealed that the property was constructed in the 1920s as a neighborhood grocery store called Bon Aire Grocery. The building has a second-floor residential space. However, the property had been vacant for years before the Kotsko’s took over.
“Since I've lived on 14th Street, it's been pretty much vacant,” she said. “You never saw anybody coming and going, but there was old stuff in it.”
Those in the market for some children's books and can't wait for the March 1st bookshop opening can buy books from The Story Garden online at Bookshop.org.
Be sure to check out the latest book arrivals and events at The Story Garden’s website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
