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WORD to Open Children’s Bookstore

WORD bookstore, which has locations in Brooklyn, New York, and Jersey City, New Jersey, will open a children’s bookstore, WORD KIDS, in its Greenpoint, Brooklyn, neighborhood this spring, the store announced on Tuesday.

The new children’s bookstore will be located two doors down from its existing shop. It will be “dedicated solely to kids’ books, toys, crafts, clothing, story times and other events, and lots of fun for Greenpoint’s youth,” according to the announcement.

Owner Christine Onorati opened WORD in Brooklyn in 2007, making this its 10th anniversary in business; the Jersey City location opened in 2013.

Wesleyan University Bookstore to Feature Café

The new bookstore at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, to be operated by Madison’s R.J. Julia Booksellers, is partnering with Ray and Shannon Allen to bring a café to the store, which will open this spring on Main Street, reported the Hartford Courant. Ray Allen is a former University of Connecticut basketball player, as well as an NBA All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist.

The café, called “grown,” will offer organic, health-conscious, and convenient food options, such as smoothies, fresh-pressed juices, soups, sandwiches, and salads, as well as breakfast items and free-range and grass-fed meats.

“As a Middletown native, and Connecticut residents, we are thrilled to partner with Wesleyan University as the new cafe in the Wesleyan R.J. Julia bookstore,” said Shannon Allen. The café, which also uses compostable paper products and recyclable cups, will serve the university’s students and faculty, as well as Middletown residents.

Breakwater Books to Celebrate 45 Years

Guilford, Connecticut’s Breakwater Books will host a 45th anniversary celebration the weekend of April 8–9.

The store is inviting customers in for a day of live music, prizes, raffles, a scavenger hunt, and a champagne toast on April 8. The following day, the store will host a children’s story time, a children’s bookmark contest, and a scavenger hunt, and will offer guests a treat of cake and juice.

Secret Garden Bookshop to Mark 40 Years

On Saturday, April 1, Secret Garden Bookshop in Seattle, Washington, will celebrate its 40th anniversary.

The all-day party will feature cake, prizes, a homemade photo booth, and an opportunity to share memories about the bookstore from the past four decades.