Woozles

A short interview with lisa doucet

TALI VORON-LEIDERMAN: Woozles is Canada’s oldest children’s bookstore! Can you share what it’s like working at a bookstore that specifically focuses on books for children?

LISA DOUCET: First of all, I can tell you that working at a bookstore that specifically focuses on books for children is every bit as wonderful and magical as you might imagine it to be (and maybe even more so!). It is incredibly gratifying: there is always such a strong sense of how much what we do really matters to our customers and our community in general: being a children’s bookstore, our patrons often do look to us for recommendations and guidance in so many ways. It is so endlessly fascinating to see the new books that come out and also so uplifting to see the enthusiasm of young readers who discover new books to love or finally get their hands on the next book in the series that they already love. It is always so rewarding to get to share with customers (parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians) about books that we love and especially recommend for whatever age/reading interest/life situation they are shopping for, and it is equally rewarding to get feedback from our patrons about the books they’ve loved.

TVL: The vision for Woozles since its opening in 1978 was that “it would be more than a store ... that it be ... ‘a place for and about children.’” Woozles has upheld this mission by offering over one thousand workshops since opening its doors and has served as a hub for resources and support about and for children. What role does Woozles play in Halifax’s community, and how has it evolved since the shop’s opening?

LD: Woozles has been around for forty-six years, and given that history, it has played a significant role in the lives of many families and children in our community throughout the years. So, that means that now we are seeing the next generation of readers as parents, who have such strong memories of the role that Woozles played in their lives, want to now introduce their children (and grandchildren) to Woozles. As a result, we have many, many “regular” customers who live all over the world. We may not see them every week, but any time they are in Halifax, we are an important destination for them. They feel like visiting family to us, too! We also support our schools and communities in various ways that include supporting their school fairs and various fundraising efforts with donations as well as offering services such as School Shopping Nights where the schools book an evening to be “their” Shopping Night and then earn a commission on all sales that even- ing. Over the years we have also offered book clubs for children and teens, we do weekly story-time sessions at our local Public Gardens every summer that are attended by numerous families, daycares, and visitors alike. We also offer and co-ordinate a Battle of the Books reading program as well as an annual writing competition for children. These are just some of the more ongoing ways in which we serve our community.

TVL: What role do books play in child development, education, and shaping young minds?

LD: Of course we believe that books play a crucial role in child de- velopment, education, and shaping young minds! The first thing this question makes me think of is Jella Lepman, the woman who founded the International Board on Books for Young People. She did so because after the Second World War, when she was asked to come up with a proposal for how best to help the women and children of Germany in this postwar reality, her most fervent belief was that books were the key. Out of that conviction she ultimately founded both the Munich Youth Library and the International Board on Books for Young People, recognizing that books can serve as both windows to the world and mirrors that allow one to see oneself reflected therein. Like Jella Lepman, I believe that books are a powerful way of enabling children to process the events and realities that are going on in the world around them, both in their immediate world and further afield. Through books, children are able to get a glimpse into the minds and hearts of others who may see and/or experience the world differently. They also are given the opportunity to see their own thoughts, feelings, worries, joys, and fears reflected in books, hopefully helping them to feel less alone and more connected to others. Books provide new ways of seeing the world and those around you; they increase empathy and understanding and awareness while they can also provide solace, comfort, and escape. Children can learn so much about the realities of the world and its people through books and they can be powerfully impacted by the stories that touch them in unique ways. I feel like we simply can’t overstate the importance of books in child development.

TVL: The titles in your shop cover a wide range of topics and are representative of many lived experiences and identities. On the home page of your website, we see categories like “Indigenous Voices,” “Pride for Pride,” “Trans and Non-Binary Voices,” “Black Lives Matter,” and “Talking to Your Kids About Grief.” Can you speak to your approach to selecting the books you choose to stock?

LD: One of the many wonderful things about being a small independent bookstore is that we select all of the books that go on our shelves ourselves and we also are the ones working in the store and interacting with our customers. So we can respond very directly to their needs and wishes. Our buying is very personal: we can often picture the particular customer(s) who are going to want a particular book. We can also actively seek out certain types of books or particular themes based on what we are being asked for. We work closely with our book reps at the different publishers in sourcing books and being aware of both the exciting big new books as well as the quieter books that may fly under the radar, but yet may be significant to our customers. So, all of that to say: our books are truly very carefully curated to meet the needs and wishes of our customers and to also reflect the issues that we know are of interest, concern, and importance.

TVL: There seems to be a growing concern that adults are reading less than they used to, and even more specifically, children and teens are reading less. What are your thoughts on this? Can bookstores and community spaces like Woozles be part of the solution to foster an enduring love of reading at an early age?

LD: To be honest, I don’t see that as being the case, that is not what it seems based on our experiences and interactions here in the store. The customers that we deal with—parents, teachers, librarians, and children themselves—give me/us the sense that children and teens are reading and loving reading as much as ever. The children/teens themselves are excited, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable: they often know when the next book in the series they love is coming out or what their favourite author is working on, etc. Parents constantly “complain” about the fact that “it’s almost impossible to keep my child in books!” (Which we all agree is a pretty wonderful problem to have.) Anecdotally, the feedback we constantly receive is that children and teens are indeed as passionate as ever they have been about books and reading! That said, I do absolutely believe that bookstores like Woozles can help in fostering an enduring love of reading. I believe we do that every day as we share our own love of reading with everyone that we interact with! But, more specifically, we can do that in so many different ways. Offering programs such as our Battle of the Books program or any similar sort of reading program, story times, book clubs, or reading challenges, etc.—those are great ways to accomplish that. Providing book lists and reading recommendations for all different ages through things like newsletters, in-store displays or posted lists, curated book lists on websites etc... . any of these ways of getting the word out about great books. Also, for stores that work closely with local schools, working with the PTAs and/ or school librarians to make book recommendations when needed and even to help them in their fundraising efforts if possible. We do School Shopping Nights with our local schools to help them raise money for their libraries, and we also have partnered with several schools to do personalized book drives within their schools. I think stores like Woozles can be creative in their approaches to working with schools and community groups in these kinds of ways.

TVL: What’s one book that was released this season that you can’t stop recommending, and why?

LD: Oh ... it is always SO HARD to just choose one! But the first one that springs to my mind is the new YA novel by Jandy Nelson, When the World Tips Over. This is a story of family secrets, of complex family relationships and dynamics, of forgiveness and healing, and of self-discovery. The characters (all of them!) are so vividly drawn, and the plot is beautifully and intricately woven as it moves through time and the different perspectives of the various characters. It has a little bit of everything: multiple mysteries, skilful character development, and multifaceted relationships that are sensitively explored. Nelson’s prose is evocative and rich, and the story has a dreamlike quality to it that almost makes it feel as much like a folk tale as a contemporary novel dealing with realistically hurting people who love each other as best as they are able despite their brokenness. Or maybe even because of it.