Medford loves books to the Moon and Back
At this bookstore in West Medford. children can read, play, listen and make.
It only took Michelle Smith three months to have her children’s bookstore in West Medford up and running. Since her Feb. 13 grand opening, she’s racked up over 1,000 transactions and features some 2,500 titles.
“This all came together since Oct. 24th,” she said, of Moon and Back.
The space at 458 High St. is bright and colorful, and ever-changing. As she answers questions, Smith moves books and toys back to their proper locations on the shelves and racks. Tomorrow, other books and toys will be moved by children excited to read and play, and that is fine by Smith.
This is a bookstore devoted to kids. Near the register, there is a display of a child’s favorite items. A kid-sized cash register has money that was made by one of Smith’s children.
Smith is happy with her location in West Medford. She rents the space and says her landlord, Stephen Pompeo, of Pompeo & Sons Insurance Agency, is “awesome.”
“He wants this neighborhood to be more vital,” she said.
Smith said she gets great foot traffic, especially on Saturdays when people stop in to pick up a book for a birthday party or a gift for a baby shower.
“You can get any book to read to a newborn,” Smith said.
But, when you need a book for a 1-year-old, she said, you need a board book, something a bit sturdier.
Smith keeps researching, looking for new titles for the store.
“And, every day, I’m like I don’t have this one and I don’t have this,” she said.
She also asks her customers what they are looking for.
“People tend to gravitate towards what they read when they were kids,” Smith said.
Smith has focused as much as she can on local authors. For example, she has a display of the “Who Would Win?” series by Jerry Pallotta, who grew up in Medford. One of her recent events featured Medford native Katherine Picarde reading her newest book, “Ollie & Stella.”
“It’s so fun to find all these books,” Smith said.
So is meeting the authors.
Kate Messner, who pens the “History Smashers” series, came to Moon and Back and signed many copies of her books.
“She’s a New York times bestselling author and she’s hanging out in my bookstore,” Smith said. “She was so sweet.”
Moon and Back hosts free story times on Wednesdays and Saturdays and special events that combine author readings with crafting.
