01How did you get started? Give us the origin story.
I was selling books out of my garage for 4 years here in Leander. My husband and I bought our first house, and within a month or two of having a couple of weekend book sales, a neighbor reported us to the city of Leander and we received a letter saying we couldn't run a bookshop out of our garage.
I quickly reached out to my friend and fellow chamber member, Esmeralda Gonzalez, and found a spot down the hall from her photography studio. We opened our doors August 22, 2025. Even though I was angry at first at that unknown neighbor who reported me, I'd like to thank them now, because owning a bookshop and being a librarian has been a dream of mine for more than a decade!
“Owning a bookshop and being a librarian has been a dream of mine for more than a decade!”
02What does your business do, in your own words?
The Kids Bookshop is a place where young moms, grandmothers, teachers and homeschoolers on a budget can shop popular and nostalgic titles while their kids play in a safe, cozy space.
03What would locals be surprised to learn about you or the business?
As a former homeschool mom and private and public school educator, I've frequented many bookstores and libraries. Many of their displays over the last several years have become increasingly unfamily friendly. I have heard from many parents that they are reluctant to visit these spaces because they want to protect their children from exposure to things that don't align with their family values. My goal in my shop is to give these families a safe space where they feel comfortable bringing their kids.
04What's the hardest part of running this business that nobody sees?
Since I am most often a one woman show, it's doing everything myself: sourcing books, cleaning and processing them, sorting and getting them on shelves, helping customers, doing the books, and creating social media posts. And this one is the hardest, since we aren't allowed by management to put up signage on our building: helping people find us!
05What's your busiest day of the year like?
Our busiest days are during our once a month dollar sales, where the majority of the books in our shop are $1 each. Our long time customers love these $1 days, and we often get new people during that weekend who see our Facebook event posts and come to find treasures, often leaving with large stacks and bags of books.
“My goal in my shop is to give these families a safe space where they feel comfortable bringing their kids.”
06What early mistake taught you the most?
When we first started, to keep prices down for customers we were absorbing the sales tax. Then when I did the calculations for that first quarter and saw the $700 tax bill I needed to pay, I realized, "Oh, sales tax adds up! We unfortunately can't afford to absorb sales tax anymore."
07Why here? What made you choose this area?
I have lived in Leander since moving here from Southern California in 2020. I also joined the Leander Chamber as a Grief and Life Coach a few years back, so Leander is my home base and I wanted the bookshop to be close to home. We were one of the first bookshops to open in Leander, and we are grateful to have that title.
08What's next for the business this year?
We just celebrated our one year anniversary this August with a fun celebration in our lobby. We are starting an initiative, "Bookmarks for Books," to get more books in the hands of low income students and families in Leander. I am upcycling vintage and other used books whose condition makes them unsellable. I cut out the amazing illustrations to create one of a kind bookmarks and will have them available to purchase in our shop. For every bookmark sold, one more book will be placed into the hands of a child.
Access to books is one of the most important factors when it comes to literacy and academic success for kids, and I am going to do my part to increase access to books for students and families in Leander.
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