2020 UPDATE: Heartbroken to share the news that Enchanted Chapters Bookstore went out of business due to the COVID-19 shutdown. I’m keeping this article live, as a tribute to the owners and their mission.
“PBS NewsHour” named Phoenix the most autism-friendly city in the world in 2016. The city’s newest indie bookstore, Enchanted Chapters Bookstore, will only help solidify that distinction.
Enchanted Chapters opened its doors in October 2019, as a “youth-focused bookstore working toward inclusion one book at a time.” While the store carries titles for adults (fiction, memoirs, cookbooks, parenting, etc.), it was designed for children and young adults to have a comfortable, inclusive place to relax, learn and grow through literature. It sells a wide selection of children’s books and young adult fiction, as well as comic books, graphic novels, unique toys and book-themed gifts.
The store has a bright and welcoming atmosphere, with lots of natural light from its large storefront windows and a kid-lit themed mural painted by a local artist. It includes a children’s play area designed as a sensory room – a place individuals with autism can go to feel safe, calm, supported and focused. Enchanted Chapters also has two nonhuman staff members: Bellatrix, a hairless sphinx cat; and Potter, a green cheek conure (both named after Harry Potter characters).
Enchanted Chapters already has a full calendar of monthly events. Goings-on include book clubs for all ages, toddler story time, family trivia night and social groups for home school families. Special events for the holidays are also on the agenda.
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Phoenix has a thriving, supportive and inclusive community for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. Here’s a sampling of the organizations based in the city:
- SEEDs for Autism: education, vocational training and social development for young adults
- SARRC (Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center): autism research, education, evidence-based treatment, and community outreach
- First Place Arizona: a nonprofit organization advancing innovative residential options for adults with autism and other special abilities.
- Autism Speaks: promoting solutions advocacy, support and research for the needs of individuals with autism and their families
Photo credit: Enchanted Chapters