Introduction
By owner, Christine Brenner
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For as long as I can remember, I have loved words and the beauty and power they hold. Whether it was poems, short stories or diary entries, I was always writing and absorbing every book I could get my hands on as a child. But my first “true love” moment happened when my fourth-grade teacher gave me The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I fell in love with the language, the story and the adventurous hero, Lucy, who was the same age I was. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe helped to break down the barriers and limitations in my head as a young girl and made me unafraid to open new doors.
I was fortunate to have teachers who inspired me and to have a family that valued reading and always made sure I had access to books. My early experiences with literacy helped to shape my career and my life, first as a teacher, then a school librarian, then a stay-at-home mom and now the owner of a children’s bookstore. I want to share my passion for children’s literature and the importance of early literacy. I envision Read With Me, A Children’s Book & Art Shop as a place where everyone is welcome and where visitors feel inspired to meet a new friend — real or imagined.
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Clifford showing me some love
About Read With Me
Read With Me was conceived because we saw the need for a place in downtown for families to experience together. Read With Me will be a place for us all to share our love of children’s books — a place where you can find a great book to read, join a book club or be inspired to write your own story in our workshop space. In picture books and graphic novels, illustrations are vital to storytelling. Read With Me will have an exhibit featuring illustrators and host illustration classes. We will celebrate all things related to the art of creating and sharing stories.
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The family outside of Read With Me
We are all well aware of the importance of literacy for a child’s academic success. Our name, Read With Me, highlights the No. 1 way to encourage your child to value reading: by reading “with” rather than “to” your child. Reading should be a shared, engaging experience between adult and child that is an open interaction of sharing thoughts and asking questions.
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Reading with Dad (4 months; 5 years)
Above all, reading should be fun. Yet I understand that, at times, it can feel like a chore. The best way to make it fun is to read books that you find enjoyable, and not everyone has the time to find those perfect books. At Read With Me, we sift through the thousands of children’s books published each year and carefully curate a diverse collection that kids will love and parents will love to read with them. When kids see us enjoying reading, they will internalize a love for reading also.
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Reading under the covers; Reading with a friend
What's our Budget?
Shops are built with money, not just dreams. So here is where your contributions can help. Read With Me's flexible goal is $50,000. While that is only half of our start-up expenses, it is an essential part. Here is our budget so you know exactly where your funds are going.
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Outdoor event space; inside the store
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Inventory- A carefully curated inventory of high-quality, diverse, engaging children's books, from board books to young adult: $20k
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Furnishings- Lots of safe and stylish bookshelves, tables and chairs: $25k
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Design- Hiring design services from locally owned businesses, including interior and exterior signage, interior layout, logo, website, print materials: $15k
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Equipment- Computer & POS system, lighting, security, sound system: $15k
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Rent, deposits, fees, improvements: $15k
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Marketing- Grand opening and other promotions: $5k
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Supplies: $5k
Grand total for opening: $100,000!*
*These numbers are based on industry averages and area estimates. We have a complete business plan, including 5 year financial projections and budget.
Even if we reach our goal, please keep donating. Every dollar we receive will help make Read With Me a truly unique place for families to experience together in downtown Raleigh.
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What are your perks?
Read With Me's campaign perks are truly unique. Everyone who donates to this start-up campaign is directly helping to open its doors and welcome new friends. We wanted to give everyone the chance to leave a mark on the shop. Whether you help us to buy some quality graphic novels or have a plaque with your child’s name added to our Creativity Corner, we sincerely appreciate your support.
- All pledges- Download a "Read With Me" bookmark.
- All pledges- Names of everyone who pledges will be added to our book "Read With Me Friends & Family" on display at our downtown Raleigh shop and listed on our website.
BONUS: If we reach our $50,000 goal, we will donate 500 books to a local literacy non-profit that puts books in the hands and homes of children who need them.
Our fundraising goal may be flexible, but our gratitude is firm. Thank you so very much for supporting our dream of bringing more cultural experiences for kids to downtown Raleigh.
Where to Find Us
Read With Me, A Children's Book & Art Shop will be located in the heart of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina's State Capitol at 111 E. Hargett Street, Suite 110. Within just three blocks of us are: Marbles Kids Museum, Wells Fargo IMAX Theatre, Moore Square Park, ArtSpace, North Carolina State Capitol, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and several kid-friendly restaurants, ice cream shops and coffee spots. There are plenty of easily accessible and inexpensive parking garages nearby (Wilmington Street Station, Moore Square Public Parking, Alexander Square), as well as street parking. With First Friday Art Walks and festivals, there is always something fun going on.
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We’re online
- Facebook: Read With Me, A Children’s Book & Art Shop @ReadWithMe.NC
- Twitter: ReadWithMe.Raleigh @ReadWithMe_NC
- Instagram: ReadWithMe_Raleigh
- Website: www.ReadWithMe.us (with online ordering and blog under construction)
Media Mentions
Risks & Challenges
You may have heard some bleak reports about the future of printed books and physical bookstores over the past several years. The triple threat of e-books, Amazon sales and the recession certainly hit the book market hard. However, printed books have proven they are here to stay, especially with children. The children’s book market has grown to a third of the entire book market. And people all over the country are realizing the power of shopping local and importance of supporting small businesses. New bookstores are opening, and the survivors are thriving!
All new business ventures have obstacles. Here are some of ours:
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Cost to open: Opening a new retail store is an expensive venture, but we have a very thorough expense report and projections. Margins are low and profits are slow for books. But with the help of this campaign and owner financing we will open!
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How to shine: With many places to buy children’s books and with thousands of children’s books published each year, we have to reflect a special glow. Read With Me will carefully curate a collection of the best children’s books that your kids will love and you will love to read with them. Our Creativity Corner workshop space will inspire your budding writer or illustrator. And our book clubs for kids and adults will connect you with new and fictional friends.
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To prosper and grow: Raleigh is experiencing impressive growth, and we want to grow along with it. In order to make sure Read With Me is here for the long term, we will focus on smart marketing to find our customers and stay connected. Read With Me will actively seek and value customer input and feedback. We will build strong relationships within the community and with those passionate about children's literacy and literature.
Our support system is strong and always growing, thanks in part to this campaign. We are lucky to have friends and family to support us, and to have a very strong small-business-friendly community in downtown Raleigh and the greater Triangle region.
Share the love of reading by sharing our Read With Me campaign and, of course, reading with a child every day and everywhere!
Follow the campaign for updates on all the exciting things happening before the grand opening.
Thank you so much and we look forward to seeing you at Read With Me!!!!!
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