Storyteller Bookstore- A Magical Store | By Aadya, 11, Kolkata

Bookstores and their cozy corners provide a perfect escape on rainy, sunny, or winter afternoons. The smell, touch, and feel of pages are simply magical. Books have always been my prized possession, and reading has been my favorite pastime. I cannot adequately express my passion for books, as they transport me to a completely different world, especially when I am at the “Story-Teller” bookstore in Kolkata.

This bookstore has been my favorite since childhood. In fact, I learned that it was the very first bookstore I entered with my mother at the early age of three, and I instantly felt at home. It housed numerous stories that intrigued my curiosity. Like a tiny wiggling worm, it seemed fun creeping in and around the gigantic bookstore shelves, reaching out to colorful picture books. My eyes lit up, and they still do, as this is one shop that continues to add to its shelves. Storybooks, workbooks, fairy tales, biographies, fiction, non-fiction, or comics – so many genres to discover in this store. Whenever I enter the shop floor, I am mesmerized.

Mayura Aunty spearheads this bookstore, and I don’t know how she always seems to know what I will enjoy every time I visit the dazzling bookstore. She guided me through the picture story books in my early years and then continued to recommend as my reading level progressed through chapter books and beyond.

No sooner did I have my first book launch as an author in this bookstore. My story was published in a book called “Smash,” an anthology of eight stories all written by young budding authors and published by Bookosmia. My story was named “Cinderella’s Uninvited Guest.” I had taken a few characters from different fairy tales to create my own story! My experience at the book launch in the presence of my mentor Richa Ma’am, my parents, and Mayura aunty was fabulous.

This bookstore holds a special place in my heart. The warmth and love for reading ooze out from every corner of the store. Each time I visit, I feel that the books are beckoning me to peek into them.