“Children’s has been a wonderful bright spot over the last year and a half. YA is just exploding off the charts. Kids is reaching 30% of store sales,” says Lori Fazio, general manager of RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, Ct., explaining the store’s decision to relocate its travel section and devote the entire second floor to children’s books.
On July 15, close to 150 people celebrated the bookstore’s expanded kids’ section with balloons and face painting. By moving out adult books and turning an events space into a shared YA room, the bookstore has been able to devote 20% more space to children’s books, from board books through YA. Fazio notes that that means more space for series books and graphic novels.
