Mission Bookworm, a children's and YA-focused bookstore, will open in Mission, Kan., later this fall, the Johnson County Post reported. Store owner Jennifer Schmidt has found a space in the Mission Mart Shopping Center at 5301 Johnson Dr. and is turning a former medical office into a bookstore. The finished space will feature reading nooks and room for events, and though the bookstore will center children and teens, there will be some titles available for adults. Schmidt's nonbook plans include greeting cards, art supplies, and gifts.
"My hope is that people feel comfortable in the space and that it's inclusive and welcoming," Schmidt told the Johnson County Post. "It can be that third space for young families to connect to each other, and for kids to connect to books."
Schmidt and her family have lived in Mission since 2019 and have spent plenty of time at local library branches and independent bookstores. But, Schmidt noted, "I've gone into the different stores around the metro, and every time I've been drawn to thinking that there needs to be a store just for kids and teenagers. The more that I kind of sat on the idea, the more I really wanted to actually bring it to life."
The store's name, Schmidt explained, references both the store's location and her mission of fostering a love of reading in children and young people.
"I'm just really excited to create a space for kids and families, and hopefully even educators," Schmidt said. "There is so much value and beauty in children's literature and I hope people can discover that in our store."
Schmidt hopes to have the bookstore open by the end of November.