Montclair Bookstore Has Big Week: New Kids Room, Owner Will Pass Torch

MONTCLAIR, NJ — There’s a new space where you can bring young ones in Montclair to encourage a love of reading, Watchung Booksellers says.

Earlier this week, the bookstore launched its Kids Room at 44 Fairfield Street. A grand opening week of activities and events is planned during the last week of September, and ongoing children’s programming is slated throughout the fall.

The new space is an expansion of Watchung Booksellers, which is located just down the block at 54 Fairfield Street and has been a vital part of the Montclair community for more than three decades. See Related: Montclair Indie Bookstore Celebrates 30 Vibrant Years In Town

The bookstore’s owner gave an update about the latest changes on Wednesday:

“The Kids’ Room offers a dedicated space for shopping for children's books and materials, from babies through tweens, while Watchung Booksellers offers graphic novels and YA literature for older teens, in addition to its robust selection of books and gifts for adults. The former children’s area in the flagship store has now been renovated into a reading room with expanded nonfiction offerings.”

Most adult author events will now be held in the evenings at the Kids Room, as the open layout offers space for up to 100 guests. The back garden will be used for author receptions and story times, and the flagship store will hold occasional signings, book clubs and literary salons in its reading room.

“We are so grateful to this community who has stood by us throughout our hurdles, from competing with box stores and online shopping, to surviving through 9/11 and a global pandemic,” owner Margot Sage-EL said.

“We owe it to them that we are able to grow and continue to share our love of books,” Sage-EL added.

PASSING THE TORCH

Wednesday’s grand opening isn’t the only big news that’s happened at Watchung Booksellers this week.

With the launch of the new store, Sage-EL also announced that her daughter, Maddie Ciliotta-Young, is now a co-owner. She will eventually take on full ownership of both stores.

“You need new blood, new vision to move forward with a business that’s been through so many changes throughout the last three decades,” Sage-EL said. “With Maddie’s drive and deep connections to this community, we’ve already seen exciting new changes and opportunities for growth.”

Ciliotta-Young is diving into her new responsibilities, which includes ensuring the success of the new Kids Room, she said.

“While we had wonderful adult events at Watchung Booksellers, we were limited with what we could do for kids in the confines of that shared space,” Ciliotta-Young said. “Now, we are already scheduling children’s book authors, multiple story times and exciting new book clubs for middle-grade and YA readers.”

“As a former educator, I’m also very excited to expand our offerings to area schools by way of school orders, book fairs and author visits,” Ciliotta-Young said.

This isn’t the first time the children’s offerings have expanded for Watchung Booksellers.

According to the bookstore’s website, Watchung Booksellers was founded in 1991 by Kathy Linsk at 33 Watchung Plaza, on the second floor above the old Bradner’s Pharmacy. In 1996, Sage-EL and Trina Rogers took the reins as owners. Sage-EL became the sole owner in 2000.

Watchung Booksellers moved into its current home on Fairfield Street in August 2001.

Sage-EL said that when she was new to Montclair with young children, she found a lack of diversity in the books to read to her biracial kids. That’s why she began Great Owl Books, a mail order catalog for multicultural children's books, which eventually grew into the brick-and-mortar bookstore she now helms.

Ciliotta-Young said the new Kids Room is her chance to keep this tradition alive.

“Now – as a mother of young children myself – I want to continue to share the gift my mom gave me: offering books that make kids feel seen, spark a love of learning and create a window into new worlds,” she said.

See upcoming events at Watchung Booksellers here.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page.