According to the BBC, Children's Bookshops are bucking the slowdown trend on our high streets, heaping great sales and successes on the solid foundation of getting our kids to read more books from an early age. 

This is fantastic news, and it's something that you can definitely feel if you're lucky enough to have a really good independent bookshop in your locale. The two in Abingdon (Mostly Books and The Abingdon Bookstore) both have prominent well-stocked children's sections as well as a great selection for adults. 

What's important to note here is the main reason for the success of Children's Bookshops. Parents are realising the value of books, not just from the perspective of getting your child interested in reading from an early age, but for the reason I set this blog up - to chart and document the level of interaction I get from reading books to my daughter. My wife and I both value the time we spend with Charlotte and her books, and through books I feel absolutely sure that her naturally inquisitive nature is further stimulated, and that the gigantic number of questions we field on a daily basis are due, in no small part, to her view of the world gained through our interaction and through the stupendous quality of children's books we have access to. 

Keep up the good work, indies. Amazon might often be cheaper but no brief stroll through Amazon's pages can match the magic of walking into a well stocked children's book shop and browsing the shelves.