Bookbug

Bookbug is Kalamazoo's beloved destination for children's and young adult literature, a store built on the conviction that putting the right book into a child's hands can change the course of a life. Since opening in 2010, the store has earned a reputation for staff expertise that goes well beyond knowing titles and authors. The booksellers understand child development, reading levels, and the social and emotional needs that different books can address. The picture book section is organized for browsing by both young children and the adults who read to them, and the middle-grade and young adult sections are designed to encourage independent exploration. The store's programming is ambitious, featuring author visits by some of the biggest names in children's publishing, and the Kalamazoo community has responded with the kind of devotion that sustains a specialty bookstore. Bookbug proves that investing in young readers is investing in the future.