As it stands right now, WoW Book and Toy Store is the only multicultural children’s bookstore on the MS Gulf Coast! And we're very proudly one of the very few Black owned book spaces in MS. But we're in danger of disappearing!
We opened the doors to our physical space this past July in the beautiful Gulfport, MS after being online-only for several years. When I brought my business back to my home state, I had really high hopes and dreams of what I wanted to accomplish for the children here in Mississippi. According to #AskExcelinEd, "Black students’ average score on every NAEP 4th grade math and reading assessment between 1992 and 2019 was at least 20 points less than White students." ALL of the children in MS deserve better!
We know that one of the best ways to get children interested in reading is to provide them with culturally relevant reading materials. And that's what we do, we carry books of various genres and for children of all ages, baby up to young adult. We even carry some adult books as well as handmade stationery. We pride ourselves on our selection of Black and Brown books and delight in creating reading events that connect the community with books in fun and various ways. We've also donated books to classrooms around MS, and the US, and have participated in a community baby shower on conjunction with a local nonprofit organization.
Supporting this effort will allow us to continue our mission of connecting our Gulf Coast community with culturally rich reading materials.
https://www.sunherald.com/news/local/article252778663.html
https://www.wxxv25.com/wow-book-and-toy-store-in-gulfport-teaching-kids-about-kwanzaa/
