Inklings Children’s Books in Waitsfield may be the only bookstore in the state catering solely to kids and teens, and it’s definitely the only one run by a guy whose last gig was writing true-crime TV.
During his screenwriting career, Inklings owner Brian Wray wrote for “Cold Case Files” and “Vanity Fair Confidential” and worked on a film for the Walt Disney Studios. That project ended up on the cutting room floor, but it inspired him to begin writing children’s books. He’s the author of five, with a sixth — The Book Bus — coming out next year.
During the pandemic, Wray relocated his family from Brooklyn to Waitsfield, where he opened Inklings just over a year ago. It offers a wide range of books, as well as afterschool art and reading programs for all ages.
“My hope was that this would be as much a community space as a children’s bookstore,” Wray said.
He seems to have attained his goal. Located in the Mad River Green Shops, Inklings has a warm, whimsical vibe. Lights shaped like clouds and fish float overhead, creating the effect of being simultaneously underwater and under a tree. In the back of the bookstore, a large, tree-shaped column is surrounded by a grassy green rug and tree stump-shaped pillows: the perfect spot to cozy up and read.
“I feel like we’re living in a golden age of children’s literature.” Brian Wray
One side of the store has a curated collection of children’s books for sale. Older titles, such as Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, sit beside newer titles such as Islandborn by Junot Diaz.
“I feel like we’re living in a golden age of children’s literature,” Wray said. “I want to make sure there’s something for everyone.”
Directly across from the book section of the store is a small studio with kid-size easels and art supplies. Having noticed a shortage of indoor activities for kids in the ski-centric Mad River Valley, Wray added the art studio to draw in parents looking for activities for their kids on bad-weather days.
Wray also offers book clubs for picture book and middle-grade readers and story time on Tuesdays and Saturdays. One of the most popular programs at Inklings is an artist book club, which runs for six weeks at a cost of $45 per week. At each meeting, participants read a children’s book about a popular artist — which they get to keep — and then work on an art project inspired by that artist.
On a recent Thursday in October, eight children gathered around the reading tree to hear Wray read Louise Bourgeois Made Giant Spiders and Wasn’t Sorry by Fausto Gilberti. Afterward, they made their own spider sculptures out of pipe cleaners.
The art book club has been so popular that Wray will likely hold two weekly options this winter. He also plans to start a Spanish-language music class and a dinner-with-the-author series for middle schoolers.
Wray said he’s been amazed by the support he’s seen so far for the bookstore. He reports that his first year was profitable, and most of the programs he held over the summer filled up. But what motivates him most, he said, is hearing from a neighbor who found unexpected joy at Inklings.
He’s actively working to create those experiences. For example, Wray hid a “golden ticket” in Waitsfield’s Joslin Memorial Library and offered whoever found it the chance to decide on the art project that kids would create at Inklings’ first anniversary party on October 12. The lucky winner was Wilder Rothman, age 8, who also chose the color of the balloons in the store that day.
The art project? Tiny mouse sculptures. Decked out in red and yellow balloons for its anniversary party, the store overflowed with visitors.
This article was originally published in Seven Days’ monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Book Bliss | Inklings Children’s Books in Waitsfield caters to young readers”
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This article appears in Kids VT, Winter 24-25.
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