On Nov. 29, The Wandering Lantern opened its doors in Lakewood. Located at the corner of Madison Avenue and Hilliard Road, it offers a quaint, welcoming bookstore for families and children.

The bookstore features a wide selection of classic children’s literature, from “Harry Potter” to “The Chronicles of Narnia”, bringing the shelves to life. Each book is carefully handpicked by Emily Mitchell, the founder and owner of The Wandering Lantern.

The story behind the shop came from Mitchell’s love of literature from a young age. As an only child, she spent much of her time reading—a passion she has maintained while working as an English teacher at Birchwood School of Hawken in Cleveland.

When the opportunity to open a bookstore arose, Mitchell decided to take it. After co-owner Michael Plant came across a listing for a small space in Lakewood, he said, “I looked at Emily, and I was like, ‘What would you put in there?’ and she was like, ‘A children’s bookstore, of course.’”

The two are now partners and have made that idea a reality by opening the store together.

The store’s name reflects a desire to bring light to Lakewood. Plant said, “What we think about is like being the light in the darkness, trying to bring imagination into the world.”

The bookstore is designed as a family-friendly space that encourages creativity and imagination in an increasingly digital world.

When opening the store to the Lakewood community, the owners wanted each book to fall within the genre of classic children’s literature or to reflect titles Mitchell loved as a child.

Plant said, “So it’s based on medal winners or things that she grew up reading, or books that just are really good.” This approach can present difficulties when customers ask for books the store does not have in stock, requiring the owners to place additional orders.

Mitchell described the experience as a learning process. “It was a huge learning curve for us, because we have never done retail, so it’s like, how do we keep things on the shelves?” she said.

The Wandering Lantern is Lakewood’s first-ever children’s bookstore, a place where parents and kids alike can find a little bit of sanctuary from their busy day-to-day lives.

“When your kids are really young, you want to get out of the house and go make a mess somewhere else and meet people, because you’re stuck at home a lot,” Mitchell said.

As a mother, she knows firsthand how difficult it can be, and she wanted to create a space for these people specifically.

While the rise of the internet in the early 2000s introduced a new era of digital distraction, many of today’s parents are seeking to balance that trend. “People want their kids reading books. We sell a ton of kids’ books, baby books, for toddlers,” Plant said.

Instead of introducing their child to a phone, the partners are encouraging parents to have them pick up a book instead. The environment the bookstore has created is one that is much needed in today’s society and will continue to be incredibly valuable for the city of Lakewood.

To become a more active part of the bustling community, Mitchell and Plant decided to hold a variety of events at their new bookstore. From weekly Saturday story times to a Valentine’s-themed craft event, their creativity seems endless.

As a children’s English teacher, Mitchell uses her skills to plan and execute all of the events that go on at The Wandering Lantern. With help from her partner, volunteers and community members, she gathers ideas to make the bookstore a safe and fun place for everyone.

Some events that the bookstore is looking to put together in the future include children’s yoga, art classes and book clubs.

“We have several people [who] are going to do moms’ groups in here, and there’s going to be workshops and craft events,” said Mitchell.

The bookstore is open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m., offering games and events periodically throughout the week.

Decorating the bookstore became a big part of The Wandering Lantern, ensuring kids had a space full of imagination and creativity.

Before renovating The Wandering Lantern, Mitchell and Plant went to Malley’s in Lakewood, knowing the store carried classic children’s literature.

Mitchell said, “That day, the manager was asking us questions, and we told her, ‘We’re starting a children’s bookstore up the street, and we’re looking for ideas.’ The manager then asked, ‘Do you want this stuff?’”

The decorations included all of Malley’s Alice in Wonderland collection. Since many people were disappointed by the removal of the decorations at Malley’s, they are now in The Wandering Lantern, taking full inspiration from them.

Other decorations include bookshelves, paintings and seating. The bookshelves were designed by Plant and his son.

“We built these bookshelves by hand, using American oak. My son, her dad and I built these for three weeks, including flooring, paint, and a lot of help from family and friends,” Plant said.

They had been working on everything since August and now have three handmade bookshelves full of classic and award-winning children’s books.

The shop is also developing a new downstairs play area, filled with art and inspired by classic children’s literature. Mitchell said, “It’s going to be a lot of hands that we need for that, but I’m hoping it’ll just be a burst of art down there, with nooks and beautiful things that kids can look at.”

The community has welcomed this little bookstore with open arms and enthusiasm. Since opening in November, the shop was immediately busy with customers looking to buy gifts for their loved ones for the holidays.

They even had projects they couldn’t finish in the shop because there were constantly people in the store looking to buy books and attend events.

The bookstore has even brought in volunteers and community members to help create a special space. Monika Mazur is a volunteer who first noticed The Wandering Lantern when driving by on a random day. She has been helping since the beginning of the process to get the shop off the ground.

“I have done some marketing work for them, creating posters, Instagram posts and other materials to promote the events they’re hosting,” Mazur said.

The little things people help with are endlessly helpful for small businesses to get started.

As a former teacher and member of the Lakewood community, Mazur wanted to get involved and make a difference. “Even though I’m not in the classroom anymore, I wanted to find some way to keep connecting kids with great books,” she said.

The way that people like her and others have supported small businesses in Lakewood has made a significant impact and will continue to do so in the future.