Getting Creative At Read With Me Bookstore In Raleigh, NC

I love downtown Raleigh with it’s hustle and bustle, sights and the many spontaneous events that it hosts. Parades, street festivals, and arts and crafts shows are just a few that come to mind. Now that the weather is taking a turn for the warmer, I took my family and headed downtown this past weekend. We ran across a book store that had a Little Library out front. I was immediately charmed and decided to visit the shop.

Read With Me located in downtown Raleigh is a children’s book store and art gallery. When my husband and son stepped inside the inviting bright space, the large raised seating covered in stuffed animals caught my attention. Of course, my son made a bee-line for it.

read with me_little library — Read With Me Bookstore Raleigh, NC

Books were displayed on a long bookcase that covered the entire wall. The name of the shop and the establishing date ran along the top. The cashier explained how the books were arranged, with toddler books at the bottom and Young Adult at the top. In the back, we discovered a large art space with coloring pages and colored pencils for kids. The back wall was covered in chalkboard paint and there were little notes and names of the local artists whose work was for sale in the store. I enjoyed seeing the art space and how the artists were listed irrespective of their paintings.

To the left of the art space was a bookshelf with arts and craft guides. How-to-write a children’s book and how-to-make a graphic novel were just a couple of the titles I spotted. They had a few word games and puzzles and a kit for creating masks. Workbooks for handwriting practice and math skills were also for sale. There were pens and journals and an antique Underwood typewriter displayed as well.

But this bookstore doesn’t just sell arts and craft supplies, they offer workshops and storytimes + crafts. With their bright colors, kid-friendly space and focus on books and the arts, Read With Me is a great place to inspire creativity in your child (and maybe yourself).

readwithmestage.jpg-2-4 — Read With Me Bookstore Raleigh, NC

All of the artwork on display was engaging. There were cute knickknacks on sale in the front of the store. I snagged myself a pin that read Don’t judge a book by it’s TV Series. They also had Literary Chapstick, bookmarks and children’s clothes. I selected a newborn onesie one for my future baby that displayed cover art from Goodnight Moon, a favorite book in our family, and a t-shirt for my son featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

readwithme_bookdisplay — Read With Me Bookstore Raleigh, NC

I asked the cashier if she could special order books and she said yes and explained the process. And then told me about their rewards program. For every two dollars spent you get 5 points. When you have enough points, you get fun stuff. A nice incentive to keep coming back – if you need more of a reason.

Read With Me Bookstore is one of Our Three Favorite Bookstores In Raleigh, NC

The cashier was very kind and helpful. We had a fun conversation about Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events and if the movie and TV series lived up to the books. She preferred the TV series while I preferred the movie but we both agreed the books would always be best.

readwithmeart.jp.jpg — Read With Me Bookstore Raleigh, NC

Read With Me Children’s Bookstore is the perfect place to start your child’s collection and maybe even grab a few literary-inspired knickknacks for yourself. The environment is friendly, and the staff is very helpful. They have books for all ages so don’t be surprised if you find yourself picking out a childhood favorite as well.

Read With Me Children’s Bookstore is located at 111 East Hargett Street, #110 Raleigh, NC. They are open Monday – Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:30 pm and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 4 pm.