Presented by: Kids Book Joint

2 days ago

A new destination for young readers is coming to Bakersfield with the opening of the Kids Book Joint Bookstore & Literacy Center, a community-focused space dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of reading.

Founder Marian Howard says the mission is simple: get books into the hands of children as early as possible. By encouraging phonics, reading, literacy, and comprehension from a young age, she hopes to help children build the skills they need to succeed in school and in life.

One of the center’s most unique features is its free literacy library. Every book in the literacy center will be available at no cost to children. After reading a book, kids are encouraged to return, step onto the center’s stage, and share what they learned. The program is designed to strengthen reading comprehension while also building confidence in public speaking and communication.

Howard says those presentation opportunities are especially important in today’s digital world, helping children become more comfortable speaking in front of others and expressing their thoughts.

In addition to the literacy center, the Kids Book Joint Bookstore will offer new children’s books through partnerships with major publishing companies. Customers can browse in-store or order books online for direct delivery, making the bookstore accessible to readers both locally and beyond Bakersfield.

The bookstore also plans to host monthly community events centered around local schools. Each month, one Bakersfield school will be selected for a free Saturday celebration featuring music, a DJ, activities, and fun designed to encourage families to visit the bookstore and celebrate reading together.

The literacy center operates as a nonprofit organization and is accepting book donations from the public to help keep free books available for children. Howard also hopes to expand programming in the future by offering literacy training for adults through community partnerships.

Kids Book Joint Bookstore & Literacy Center officially opens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 18 at 9:00 a.m. The public is invited to attend and celebrate throughout the day.

The bookstore is located at 2210 Chester Avenue, Suite A in Bakersfield.

Hours of operation are:

Monday through Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Sunday: Closed

For more information, visit kidsbookjoint.com, call 661-327-4421, email contact@kidsbookjoint.com, or follow Instagram: @kidsbookjoint.com.