Bolen Books Gives Young Readers a Private Shopping Experience

On a Monday morning in early June, a line of Kindergarten students wound through Bolen Books, freshly chosen books in hand, stuffies tucked under their arms, small bags of cash at the ready. The Victoria bookstore had opened its doors early, just for them.

The visit was part of a broader money unit the two Kindergarten classes had been working through, and teachers Caitlin Barnes and Katie McNeil wanted to give students a chance to put that learning into practice somewhere real.

"These days children see things bought with a card to swipe or tap," said McNeil. "But we thought it would be a great opportunity to have money and literature come together."

Each student arrived with up to $20 in cash. Before settling on a book, they explored the store, took a peek at the back room and offices, and worked their way through a scavenger hunt, searching the shelves for hidden letters that spelled out Bolen Books. Then came the main event: choosing a book, bringing it to the register, scanning it themselves, and counting out the coins and bills to pay.

"I liked using the scanner to scan the books," said Jacky. "The best part was finding a book and then using the cash register," said Winston. Hugh had his eye on the scavenger hunt. "I went to do hard stuff and go looking," he said. Frankie S. had similar enthusiasm: "I liked finding the hidden letters in the store."

They left with a book they had chosen, change they had counted out, and a receipt to tuck away.