Los Amigos Books, a Spanish and bilingual children's bookstore, opened a bricks-and-mortar storefront last week in Chicago, Ill., Block Club Chicago reported.
Now located at 2207 N. Western Ave. in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, Los Amigos Books has its roots as an online store and pop-up. It carries Spanish and bilingual titles for children and teens sourced from publishers in the U.S., Latin America, and Spain.
Owner and founder Laura Rodríguez-Romaní, who previously worked as a dual-language teacher in the Chicago area, held a grand-opening celebration Friday afternoon with the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce. Afterward, the store held its first storytime session.
"It's really hard to raise bilingual kids in this country, especially if you don't know where to look for the resources to be able to accomplish it," Rodríguez-Romaní told Block Club Chicago. "I know that firsthand because I have my son, and I'm trying to do the same with him, and having easy access to books in a physical location where you know you can get them, and they're high quality, that's super important."
Rodríguez-Romaní's desire to open a bookstore grew from her experience sourcing Spanish-language titles to bring to schools. Particularly, a visit to the Guadalajara International Book Fair was eye-opening. "I really enjoyed that process of getting to know what our school’s library needed and going out and scouting for those books and bringing them back."
In 2021, Los Amigos Books made its debut as an online store. That same year Rodríguez-Romaní started appearing at the Logan Square Farmers Market, and in 2022, she opened the store's first physical location inside of a business incubator called the Berwyn Shops. The farmers' market appearances underscored the value of having a physical presence in the community, she explained, and from there "it just snowballed."