Pierce County, Washington, is home to a diverse array of businesses and organizations that make special efforts to engage children, youth, and families in their design, service, policies, and more. Among them is local Tacoma bookstore Grit City Books, located in an inviting little storefront off of 6th Avenue.
Grit City Books has been aiming to make a positive impact on their community since ownership team Kaitlyn, Jeff, and Kegan, a trio passionate about creating a community-centric space that could host events and welcome families, including children and youth, opened the shop’s doors in 2024. When they opened, the team was looking to address the challenges that they encountered as book buyers, wanting to remove the need for customers to make a choice between supporting a local indie store or having the convenience of a big box store that has a highly curated selection. Jeff adds, “[As customers] we kind of felt like we kept having to choose between spending with our values or convenience and experience, and didn’t feel like that was a choice that needed to be made.”
Designing a Space for Children, Youth, and Families
At first glance, it’s clear that the team was intentional in designing a space that is welcoming for children and youth. An entire section of the store is wrapped in books for young readers as well as games like Uno and bingo, with a child-sized table in the middle and a cozy bench stocked with pillows. Picture books are kept on lower shelves, allowing young visitors the independence of picking out their own reads based on their interests, while taller shelves seem to be reserved for chapter books and other reads that appeal to older children and youth who can more easily reach them. The entire children’s area is strategically positioned so that adults don’t need to walk through to get to other parts of the store, but still open enough that they can keep an eye on their children as they each browse their own interests.
Another section of the shop features comfortable armchairs beside a cozy, flickering fireplace. During events, these chairs spin around and the shelves, strategically placed on rollers, move to provide a space for visitors to sit and enjoy events like a monthly drag story time, special fireside chats with authors, and more.
Kaitlyn, one of the shop’s owners, explains that making purposeful design choices that make this space as family-friendly, kid-friendly, and event friendly as they could was important for them.
The owners of Grit City Books believe that it is important to welcome children and youth into their shop for many reasons, including the infusion of joy that it brings to their space. “It’s so fun when you get a kiddo talking about their special interest,” Jeff said, and described his experience watching one of their ten-year-old customers develop a passion for building after picking up a beginner’s book for Minecraft. He explains that they made an effort to ask him about Minecraft and building when he came in weeks later, and then listening to him talk. “It just opens you up for a more joyful experience,” Jeff said.
Kaitlyn agreed, saying that it was not a difficult decision to create an inclusive space. “Children are our future. And it is important to include them in our world. There are a lot of places that are just for adults that are not as many places that are for our families.”
Fostering loyalty and love for a business can be achieved by being welcoming and inclusive, which aligns with their values and can also be a smart business strategy.
“It’s a fun activity […] it’s not something where they drag the kids along,” Kaitlyn points out, “and then the kids are the ones that are actively pulling them out of here, and kids are the ones that’re usually actively pulling them into the store.”
We got to see their expertise and passion for books in action when we asked for their recommendations for their top children’s books. The pair had too many fantastic stories for all ages to count, but a few stuck out that we’ve listed below.
Recommending Some Reads
We got to see their expertise and passion for books in action when we asked for their recommendations for their top children’s books. The pair had too many fantastic stories for all ages to count, but a few stuck out that we’ve listed below.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
This pick is a classic, Jeff explains, still very popular with children whose caregivers have fond memories of reading this story about a boy who goes on a rowdy, fantastical adventure over the sea and through the jungle.
Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
“One of the things that we prioritize is a lot of queer representation, as well as BIPOC representation through our books,” Kaitlyn mentions as she recommends this story full of both, about a young boy filled with wonder and inspiration after seeing costumed mermaids on his way home one day.
BIG by Vashti Harrison
Kaitlyn loves to recommend this story about a little girl who does ballet, and is told that she is too big; this book for young readers discusses the impact that words can have, as well as standing up to the people who are saying those mean things and what that feels like.
Ursula Upside Down by Corey R. Tabor
The team finds the interactivity of this book interesting and fun to read with young ones. Throughout this story about switching perspectives, readers flip the book upside down and back again, switching their own perspective of the pages to view the words and vibrant illustrations.
The I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis
Kaitlyn and Jeff are still looking for what draws young adults to this popular series, which features terrifying stories of history from the eyes of a child who survived each event.
Best of the Best
Grit City Books was nominated by the CYC Superchamps as one of the Best of the Best of Pierce County when it comes to being a child and youth centered business and are committed to making their business a safe and welcoming place for children and youth in our community.
Plus, follow them on social media for great book recommendations, events, and beyond! Learn more at GritCityBooks.com.
