spaces

First WordSpaces

North Carolina artist Scott Mills created the mural's fanciful tree and its tiny residents.

Storytime Sounds Better Here

Magical murals, an expansive book selection, and interactive story time sessions make The Bookery a haven for budding

young readers. —LAUREN FISHER

RATHER THAN BURY THE CHILDREN’S SECTION BE-

hind mountains of books meant for adults, The Bookery, in Columbia-Tusculum, places the most magical part of any bookstore front and center. Practically a third of the store is devoted exclusively to kids’ literature, the space brought to life by a set of whimsical murals painted by North Carolina–based artist Scott Mills—owner Sierra Hollabaugh says she’s still discovering woodland creatures hiding in the tree and poking out from behind the shelves.

Bring your little ones in for educational, interactive story time sessions with local authors like Julie Whitney, who reads her book Astra the Lonely Airplane in a pilot’s uniform to teach kids about planes, and Mary Barry, who uses her If Zebras Ziplined as a lesson in phonics for elementary-aged learners.

The space itself is designed to grow with your child, beginning in the far corner with pop-up books for babies and toddlers and weaving around the room, running the gamut from Goodnight Moon all the way up to middle-school-level Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia. Parents, meanwhile, are free to browse for themselves while kiddos take advantage of the pint-sized furniture, floor-level bookshelves, and tiny, endlessly fun tunnel that acts as a portal from the real world into a literary wonderland where kids rule.

TCT Academy offers performing arts instruction from a professional theatre company, introducing children to all elements of live theatre, incorporating educational aspects as well as important life skills and milestones. It isn’t just learning how to SING, DANCE AND ACT…It’s about gaining confidence, learning life skills and keeping your children active. Classes for 18 months to 18 years. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.THECHILDRENSTHEATRE.COM