That's the sound of me falling on the floor at today's announcement by All for Kids' Chauni Haslet.
Indie bookstore All for Kids Books and Music -- located on the edges of U Village -- has hung on for a quarter century, in an increasingly difficult market for small bookstores. Every children's author who is anyone (and many who weren't anyone yet, but were going to be soon) has been through Chauni's doors. "Lost" fans will know what I mean when I say that Chauni Haslet has been our constant in the world of literature for kids.
And she announced this afternoon that, as of June 30, she'll be leaving the store for "a new phase of life with a little more leisure and more grandchildren." Buyer Rene' Kirkpatrick, who sends out the most beautiful and literate "what's up at All for Kids" emails EVER, will be leaving April 25.
The announcement seemed to imply -- but didn't say for sure -- that the store would be closing. Say it isn't so, Chauni.
Plenty of chances to stop by between now and then, starting with tomorrow's reading by author/illustrator Marla Frazee.