Field Trips: Bring Your Class or Group to The Story Shop!

Need another way to work in some whimsy and magic into your day? Bring your class or group to experience a private story time in our magical Narnia Wardrobe!

Field Trips are offered for grades Pre-K to 6th, including a new addition for those diving into chapter books.

During a field trip, our amazing staff will read a few books, engage the students in theme-related activities, and assist in the exploration of the shop.

Need to eat your packed field trip lunches? Add on our Celebration Room for an on-site place to eat! (Maximum of 20 students.)

Simply pick a theme, choose a day, and book your trip!**

**Availability outside of our regularly scheduled Field Trip Days and accommodations for smaller or bigger groups may be worked out upon request.

We’re adding to our field trip themes to include upper elementary and early middle grades!

You can now schedule a Book Tasting Field Trip for your middle grade readers!

Geared toward 4th through 6th grades, students will have time to peruse some of the shop’s favorite chapter books.

Our Book Tasting Field Trip is a wonderful way to get students engaged in reading and familiarize them with a wide variety of genres. They will rotate through several books and fill out their book tasting “menus” in our “Story Shop Café” to take home. After “tasting” the books, students will also participate in a scavenger hunt throughout our magical store.

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Need to bring a bigger group or two classes at once? Book a Double Session! A Double Session Field Trip is double of everything that’s included in a Single Session Field Trip. While once class or group is in the Wardrobe with one Theme, the second class or group is in the Celebration Room with our Book Tasting Theme!* Since a Double Session is, in fact, two whole Field Trips, the cost is $10/child due to planning and staffing for larger group dynamics. Well worth it for the extra fun without having to leave the shop!

*The Book Tasting Theme will be adjusted based on the age of the students, of course.

Book Review: Sunrise Dance and Moonlight Prance

Publisher Summaries

Moonlight Prance

Young readers can make skunks scamper and possums prance with each push of a durable novelty element in this bedtime read-aloud. 

When you rest your head at night, nocturnal animals awake to dance and play! Push and pull the sturdy tabs to make foxes frolic and hedgehogs hustle in this sweet, interactive tale of nighttime fun.

Sunrise Dance

Make salmon splash and bear cubs bustle with each push of a durable novelty element in this sweet and interactive morning read-aloud. 

When you wake up in the morning, playful animals are starting their day! Push and pull the sturdy tabs to make dragonflies dance and bear cubs bustle in this sweet, interactive tale of morning-time fun.

A charming and interactive bedtime read-aloud, young children will delight in moving the durable novelty elements, making the illustrations transform through their efforts.

BONDING & LEARNING: Novelty elements create opportunities for interacting with the book, and with one another, in new and sweet ways. While promoting parent-child bonding, the interactive elements also help the youngest readers learn hand-eye coordination and cause-and-effect as they see how their actions impact the illustrations.

CUDDLY CREATURES: Teagan White's cutest of animals are irresistible.

Perfect for: parents, gift-givers, fans of interactive books

Review

What more can we say?

Wonderfully whimsical and fantastically fabulous, these books are a feast for the eyes and the ears. Marmots are mamboing, raccoons are rollicking, and we are here for it. Author and illustrator marry text and picture to create standout reading experiences. Add in the interactive elements and you have something truly unique. Both titles are on constant rotation in this bookseller’s house. They draw in the child as well as the adult: our 2yo keeps going back to these specific books and diving into their delights on his own.

The interactive elements really are sturdy, too! Months in, with heavy daily reading, and the 2yo has only Houdinied one element from the combined sixteen.

Book Review: The Color of Dragons

Publisher Summary

A sweeping, action-packed, romantic pre-Arthurian tale of the origins of magic (and Merlin) by powerhouse adult fantasy author R. A. Salvatore and Erika Lewis, perfect for fans of The Falling Kingdoms and Seraphina.

Magic needs a spark.

And Maggie’s powers are especially fickle. With no one to help her learn to control her magic, the life debt that she owes stretches eternally over her head, with no way to repay it.

Until she meets Griffin, the king’s champion infamous for hunting down the draignochs that plague their kingdom.

Neither has any idea of the destiny that they both carry, or that their meeting will set off a chain of events that will alter every aspect of the life they know—and all of history thereafter.

Perfect for fans of Goldenhand and The Girl of Fire and Thorns, this epic, romantic tale from New York Times bestselling author R. A. Salvatore and debut author Erika Lewis will enchant readers and draw them into a thrilling world of star-crossed lovers, magic, destiny, and the paths we choose.

Bookseller Review

I absolutely inhaled this book! (Seriously, I read almost all 400ish pages in one sitting. I only did not complete it because my 15 month old woke up at 2am, I realized what time it was, and practiced some serious self-control by not picking it right back up but went to bed instead.)

A loose nod to the legend of King Arthur, the story is glorious, heart rending, and full of hope. It has elements of everything fantasy readers love: power, who has it and who doesn’t; betrayal, who can you trust; world building, the authors put you in the arena with the draignochs; well-crafted twists and turns; love, who do you fight for; magic, what’s real and who’s faking it; and so much more!

Jolabokaflod: What is it?

Jólabókaflóð

Roughly translated from the Icelandic to be:

Christmas Book Flood

Need we say more? But wait, it gets better.

Jólabókaflóð is the coziest, most wonderful of Icelandic traditions.

How to celebrate in 3 easy steps:

1. Exchange books on Christmas Eve

2. Everyone settle in with your new book and hot cocoa

3. Enjoy the cozy delight of a holiday evening spent with family reading and sipping hot cocoa

It’s seriously that easy!

Extra points? Gift hot cocoa with the book!

Not sure what books to get for friends and loved ones? Ask our booksellers! We read hundreds of books every year to be able to recommend that next fabulous title for you.

What began with an abundance of books during a time of few pleasures in World War II (paper was one of the few things not rationed in Iceland during the war), quickly developed into a national tradition. This tradition cemented Iceland as a nation of bookaholics and has since spread to be celebrated more worldwide in recent years. Be still our bookish hearts!

2022 Holiday Gift Guide

Books make the best gifts and here’s why:

• No assembly

• No extra pieces to hunt for

• No batteries required

• Books can be used over and over again

• Books never go out of style

• Books promote imagination and wonder

• Books stay with you for a lifetime

Favorite New Releases

*Affiliate links for favorite new releases with Bookshop.org, a platform that supports Indies. Use these links to earn The Story Shop a percentage of the profits or order directly through us over the phone/via email for even more support!

Surprise Boxes

Our Surprise Box of Books is perfect for the avid reader or the new reader! Let us know some recently enjoyed titles, a favorite genre, or broadly a beloved subject like unicorns or World War II, and we’ll pull several of our best titles for the recipient.

Or order a Surprise Box of Books and dedicate it to holiday titles! We’ll pack the box full of delightful Christmas and Winter books, and maybe even some cozy holiday goodies like hot cocoa and holiday candy.

Bookish Gifts

Puzzles, teas, plushies, and accessories, oh my!

Create a perfectly bookish evening in a gift: A bookish puzzle to put together for a cozy evening, with a literary tea and a bookish mug to drink the tea from, cuddle with a book character plushie, plus cozy book-themed socks. What’s not to love?

Buying for someone who likes things a little more shiny? We have bookish pins and glittery fairy wands, too!

Audiobooks

If you’re ready to get a start on your holiday shopping, audiobook memberships through Libro.fm make the perfect gift! You choose the membership (1, 3, 6, or 12 months/credits), your gift recipient picks their own audiobooks, and you support our shop with your purchase. 

BONUS: This holiday season, when you purchase a credit bundle (for someone else or for yourself) you'll get a free seasonal audiobook as our gift to you!

Libro.fm audiobook gift memberships are available worldwide, and you can purchase them for yourself in addition to giving them as gifts. If you want to gift a specific audiobook, you can do that too!

Gift a membership!

Giving Back

Help us give the gift of reading this Christmas to kids in the Team Up Mentoring program! Each child has chosen a book, all you need to do is make the purchase! No need to choose, it’s so easy. A great gift for the hard-to-buy-for or the charitably-minded!

Monroe Children's Book Day with Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox

What is Monroe Children’s Book Day?

Monroe Children’s Book Day is a day when our town celebrates the whimsy, wonder, and imagination of children’s literature! Think Unicorn Day, but for all kinds of children’s books. Find bookish details all around town, see how different businesses celebrate different books, pop in for lots of activities and photos around town, and come dressed up as your favorite book character to add to the magic!

Join us for one of our very special Story Time Events!

See you Saturday, May 7th at either 10:00am, 12:00pm, or 3:00pm for a special Meet the Author & Illustrator Story Time! Jonathan & Heather will read several of their hilariously delightful books, we’ll join Llama in some of his shenanigans, have a time for Q&A, a book signing, and top it all off with a yummy llama treat. Recommended for ages 3-9, but all are welcome!

Please Note!!

While this is not a ticketed event, the only way to guarantee entry to one of the story times is to pre-order a Llama book. Our pre-orders will enter the Wardrobe first, and then we will allow as many others in as there is room. Only one pre-order is necessary per family.

Pre-orders are also entered to win a fabulous bookish basket!

About Our Dynamic Duo:

About Jonathan: Storytelling brings me so much joy, and my hope is that my stories will give readers joy too! Here is a little more about me:

What do you do when you're not writing?

- I read A LOT 
- I play with my french bulldog (Hugo)
- I like to find ways to cheer people up
- I draw silly things
- I swing dance
- I watch old movies
- I eat donuts (Yes. Please.)
- I go on adventures (Forests and bookstores FTW)
- I make films!

Learn more about Jonathan here.

About Heather: She likes to explore the use of color and shapes to create bright and whimsical doodles! When she isn't creating, you can probably find her enjoying a cup of coffee, walking around town, or chasing down her dog (Sir Hugo) who has stolen one of her socks. She lives in Lititz, Pennsylvania with her husband (and author!) Jonathan Stutzman.

Learn more about Heather here.

Jonathan & Heather’s books:

Pre-order now to secure your spot in this amazing event!

Llama Destroys the World

Meet Llama, the next great picture-book megastar, who has most definitely driven a bus and who loves tacos way more than you.

He also loves cake, and that’s where our story begins.

On Monday, Llama discovers a pile of cake, which he promptly eats.

On Tuesday, Llama squeezes into his dancing pants, which he promptly rips.

The force of the rip creates a black hole (naturally).

By Friday, Llama will (indirectly) destroy the world.

In their debut picture book, author/illustrator team Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox introduce young readers to the comical, the studious, the oblivious Llama, a picture-book hero for the ages. So grab some cake and your dancing pants and prepare for Llama Destroys the World... because THE TIME FOR LLAMA IS NIGH!

Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse

In the hilarious follow-up to Llama Destroys the World, author/illustrator team Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox give Llama another shot at saving the world…from himself, in Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse.

Llama’s back and ready to destroy the world AGAIN… this time with his best camelid, Alpaca!

Llama loves cooking. And baking. And, above all, eating.

For breakfast, Llama makes one epic spread…as well as a big mess.

But Llama hates cleaning.

So by lunch, Llama has cooked up something really devious—an idea!—and by second lunch, Llama has cloned his most fastidious friend, Alpaca, to clean his house. And Llama doesn’t stop at just one clone.

By dinner, the alpaca clones threaten to tidy the world into utter destruction—THE ALPACALYPSE* IS HERE!

Will Llama be able to fix it all before dessert?

*That’s “apocalypse” with an alpaca—get it?

Llama Rocks the Cradle of Chaos

… While this one won’t be available on the day of the event, be sure to snag a copy and have a surprise waiting for you when it releases in July!

The third installment in Stutz and Fox's Llama series featuring everyone's favorite camelid, who travels through time to eat the one-of-a-kind donut . . . he just finished eating.

After devouring the most heavenly donut known to mammal-kind, Llama is desperate to relive the experience. Fortunately, every scientific-minded Llama has a pair of time-traveling pants for just this predicament!

Unfortunately, time travel requires precision, and this doomsday-prone llama is anything but precise. Despite overshooting his final destination, Llama somehow manages to find himself in front of a new donut, and this one might be even better. Without sacrificing any time, Llama swipes the precious dessert and hightails it out of there.

But something steals a ride back to the future with Llama . . . Baby Llama! And Baby Llama is not about to give up his donut. So begins a decade-tripping, belly-busting adventure that only the hilarious masterminds Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox could invent.

Don’t Feed the Coos

When you see a coo, you will be tempted to give it a treat.

Coos are adorable, peaceful, kind of silly.

But DON'T FEED THE COO!

If you feed one, they will ALL come...

So begins Don't Feed the Coos, a cautionary tale that details the fallout when a little girl decides to share some bread with a coo (aka pigeon). From the park to home to the arcade to karate practice, the coos follow the generous-but-foolish girl who didn’t heed the warning. Because when you give a coo a crumb…the entire population of coos will come! But fret not: our spunky little heroine will discover that even the biggest of problems can be solved with a little determination.

In the grand tradition of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Don't Feed the Coos reminds us that the most disastrous of reactions can come from the most innocent of actions. Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox deliver another ridiculous and hilarious story, sure to delight fans of The Bad Seed and I Want My Hat Back.

Fitz & Cleo

Fitz and Cleo is the beginning of a delightful, hilarious new early graphic novel series about a pair of sibling ghosts and their adorable cat, Mr. Boo, perfect for fans of the Narwhal and Jelly series and Peter & Ernesto.

Fitz and Cleo are siblings by chance, but best friends by choice. Oh, and they also happen to be ghosts.

Join Cleo, a happy-go-lucky kind of gal, and Fitz, her science-minded brother, as they laugh their way through eleven gut-busting stories, including exploring the beach with a new friend, playing baseball, and gazing at the stars.

Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox, the dynamo team responsible for our favorite doomsday-prone Llama, team up again for a silly and heartwarming graphic novel that is perfect for newly independent readers and comics enthusiasts. The book highlights just how bright the world can be when you mix a little fun with some great friends.

Fitz & Cleo Get Creative

The second installment in Stutz and Fox's adorable early graphic novel series about a pair of sibling ghosts who are experts at raising spirits, perfect for fans of the Narwhal and Jelly series and Peter & Ernesto.

Happy-go-lucky Cleo and science buff Fitz are back again and they are feeling . . . inspired (much to their cat, Mister Boo's, dismay).

Follow the most adorable siblings this way of the afterlife through ten gut-busting creative farces, including flexing their storytelling muscles with ghost stories and writing, casting, and producing their first film.

Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox, the dynamo team responsible for our favorite doomsday-prone Llama, conjure up another collection of silly and heartwarming stories in the Fitz and Cleo universe that are perfect for newly independent readers and comics enthusiasts alike.

Santa Baby

The duo behind Llama Destroys the World take their trademark hijinks up to the North Pole in this laugh-out-loud, heartfelt Christmas-themed picture book.

Santa is feeling old, and being in the business of Christmas for centuries is . . . well, it isn't all milk and cookies. In hopes of regaining some of his pep, Santa asks the spirit of Christmas to give him something for a change: skim off a couple of years and make him younger.

But Christmas magic is powerful, and Santa gets more than he wished for. Instead of a fresh new outlook and boundless energy, he needs diapers and a nap―stat. With Christmas only a few days away, the elves rush to teach Santa Baby the basics. But will there be enough time to prepare their new bundle of holiday joy for the job?

Funny and spirited, bright and inspiring, and with an unforgettable title, Santa Baby is destined to be a yuletide read families revisit every year.