This article is offered in tribute to Founding Father Benjamin Franklin – writer, editor, printer, publisher, bookseller, and coffee-drinker. He was known to regularly patronize the cafes in London and always travelled with his own supply of coffee beans.
A librarian, an adjunct professor, an artist, a technology consultant, a social justice policy advisor, and a rock climber. They have very different bios, yet one big thing in common – they each own and operate independent bookstores in the River Towns. Books are their main product line, of course, so you might be tempted to think the shops are all the same. But in the spirit of the 250th anniversary of America, let me show you how, in their own unique ways, these entrepreneurs offer diverse perspectives on understanding this nation of ours. All with coffee nearby.
Sleepy Hollow Bookshop: Bean bag chairs and baked goods invite children, teens, and adults to read together.
95 Beekman Ave. Store #3
Sleepy Hollow
- info@sleepyhollowbookshop.com
Leah Bloom, Owner: “I opened Sleepy Hollow Bookshop because my family wanted a place where we live and where parents could have a cup of coffee while their children curled up with a good book (or two or three). We wanted to create a true community experience. Sure, the shop is a place to buy books, or meet an author, but it’s also a place to meet friends or read to your child in a bean bag chair. We love when people come in and have unplanned reunions with friends or meet their children’s friends’ parents for the first time. After school, we have teens come in for brownies and cake pops while they do homework, and sometimes they leave with a great new book.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to be here where Sleepy Hollow has its own link to pirate lore! Legend has it that one of the most famous pirates ever to live visited Sleepy Hollow in what’s now Kingsland Point Park. As the story goes, Captain Kidd met with the prominent landowner Frederick Philipse to discuss business dealings in a spot in the park, now known as ‘Kidd’s Rock.’ Legend also says that Kidd and other pirates buried treasure along the Hudson River. Though we don’t know if Captain Kidd ever really met Philipse on that rock or buried any treasure nearby (there’s even question about whether Kidd was a true pirate), piracy existed along the Hudson River in the late 17th century and the early 18th century. With the 250th anniversary of the USA this year, why not head further back in history, dive into some pirate books, and feel a little closer to those who may have passed by these very shores before our country even declared its independence from Britain. Here are some favorites for young audiences: “Mysterious Voyage of Captain Kidd” by A.B.C. Whipple (ages 9 – 12) – This nonfiction recounting of Captain Kidd and his famous voyage has adventure, treasure, danger and more. From his life as a merchant, to his high seas adventure and his eventual trial and death, this is a lively history of the man who inspired so much lore. “Pirates: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #4: Pirates Past Noon” by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne (ages 7 – 10) – This ‘fact checker’ from the creators of the popular Magic Tree House series answers questions about pirates. It covers life on a pirate ship, treasure, and even includes fun facts from Jack and Annie, the main characters in the Magic Tree House fiction book, Pirates Past Noon. “Tales of Pirates: Adventures of the Seven Seas” by Katie Nelson and Olivia Meikle (ages 8 – 10) features fascinating true stories of famous people, like Blackbeard and Francis Drake and includes lesser-known people from around the world. Each story is beautifully illustrated to bring adventurous stories to life.” (Try the coffee and baked goods café inside the store.)
Transom Bookshop: Letting cover art sing in a re-imagined space.
23 Main St.
Tarrytown
Chris Steib, Owner: “Book design has come a long way in the past 5-10 years, with bigger fonts, brighter colors, higher contrast. Designed to snag the distracted social-media user, this is a boon for brick-and-mortar bookshops, too. So I used light, neutral wood for the book cases, unobtrusive track lighting, lots of negative space, and clear sight lines all the way to the back. Front and back windows—punctuated softly by the custom archway—help the space feel calm, a kind of antidote to the harried (and increasingly digital) world outside. This way the books do the talking, and the shop itself (like its booksellers) quietly aids in the discovery process.
For more than 20 years, I climbed rocks for fun. Big and small, indoors and out, roped-in or over mats, on white-sand beaches and over deep ocean waters. It’s completely impractical, taking the hard way up, just because. That’s what I believe makes rock climbing so distinctly American: it perfectly embodies the frontier spirit of seeing how high we can go despite how far we might fall. Echoing JFK: not because it is easy, but because it is hard. Literature is similar: we write stories because they must be told, because their ideas are dangerous and important, because they open our eyes to the world above and beyond us, and make us feel alive by pushing beyond our limits. That’s why I wholeheartedly recommend Gabriel Tallent’s tectonic new novel, ‘Crux.’ It’s a gorgeous and heart-rending coming-of-age story in its own right, but also a flawlessly crafted celebration of rock climbing, which demands we examine the hard things about life because they are there, and nothing truly worth doing is ever easy. For historical nonfiction: Every February, to commemorate Black History Month, I re-read ‘The Fire Next Time’ by James Baldwin. Published in 1963, Baldwin reflects on the state of racism in America at the height of the 20th century’s Civil Rights Movement. An exceptional writer and philosopher, Baldwin is uncompromising and compelling and clear-eyed, but also warm and empathetic and deeply soulful. Full disclosure: I’m a sucker for a Western. They can range from fun and campy (Elmer Kelton) to dark and violent (Cormac McCarthy). John Larison’s ‘Whiskey When We’re Dry’ does something new with the well-trod genre: he shows America’s 19th century westward expansion through the eyes of the frontier’s underappreciated characters: women, Blacks, Natives, outlaws, and indentured workers. In doing so, ‘Whiskey’ exposes our problematic history of expansion and the capitalist frauds at its helm.” (Check out Mint next door for coffee or Muddy Water down the street.)
Hudson Valley Books for Humanity: Social justice finds a home in an opera house.
67 Central Ave.
Ossining
Amy Hall, Owner: “When I first envisioned opening Hudson Valley Books for Humanity in 2021, I imagined it as a way to drive environmental and social impact through our business values and practices. Environmental, by keeping old books out of landfill, by minimizing waste in all its forms, and by promoting planet-friendly living through the titles we carry and our programming. These values have always been a part of my identity (I’m bi-racial, raised in a white community; a lifelong cyclist and kayaker) – and they were deepened through my 30+ year career at Eileen Fisher, where I founded and led social consciousness work. I’ve come to realize that this work is not really about the books. It’s about the larger world and our place in it – beginning with the community right outside our door through meaningful partnerships: Riverkeeper, Bethany Arts Community, the Ossining Public Library, and most notably, the Sing Sing Prison Museum opening next door this spring. We host the monthly ‘Short Attention Span Book Club,’ which takes a deep dive into a social justice issue affecting the incarcerated community, ‘Building Bridges Through Books,’ co-facilitated by Ossining Village Historian Joyce Sharrock Cole and civil rights educator Abbe Marcus (JTC Experiences), which brings together 20-25 people on a monthly basis to read and discuss books addressing a wide range of social justice issues. Currently, we are reading ‘The Silence of the Choir,’ by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr. Other recent reads include, ‘Say Anarcha’ (J.C. Hallman), ‘The Tragedy of True Crime’ (John C. Lennon), and ‘There There’ (Tommy Orange).”
“The store (located in the historic Olive Opera House) is set up to spotlight these themes. The Banned Bookshelf features titles like ‘And Tango Makes Three’ (Justin Richardson), ‘The Bluest Eye’ (Toni Morrison), and ‘Gender Queer’ (Maia Kobabe). A dedicated Hudson Valley section prominently features ‘The Sing Sing Files’ (Dan Slepian), ‘The Tragedy of True Crime’ (John C. Lennon), ‘Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing’ (Ted Conover), ‘A History of Native American Land Rights in Upstate New York’ (Cindy Amrhein), and two race/ethnicity sections (new and pre-loved) with titles addressing African-American, Latino-American, Asian-American issues, and other racial/ethnic categories. No matter our personal background and experiences, there is no end to what we can each learn about – and contribute to – creating a better world characterized by radical acceptance, community unity, and universal harmony. Hudson Valley Books for Humanity is a small cog in this wheel.” (Amy has tea on hand, and you can find First Village Coffee nearby.)
Bruised Apple: Used-book treasure-hunting at its best – from the curious “The Collector’s Guide to Thimbles” to a precious first edition of Washington Irving’s “Sketchbook”.
923 Central Ave.
Peekskill
Scott Sailor, Owner: “It was a history book that led me to Peekskill 33 years ago as the perfect place to open a bookstore: T. C. Boyle’s novel ‘World’s End’ based on events and characters in and around Peekskill through several generations. Growing up in New Jersey, I was vaguely aware of historical events at a local level, but living in Peekskill and the Hudson Valley took that awareness and interest to a whole new level. Emma Patterson’s book ‘Peekskill in the American Revolution’ blew me away with stories of local battles between the Americans and British and among the locals. Howard Fast’s book ‘Peekskill USA’ about the riots in nearby Cortlandt against Paul Robeson’s performances during the height of cold war anti-communist fervor was fascinating as well. Chet Raymo’s book ‘Written in Stone: A Geological History of the Northeastern United States’ and Yngvar Isachsen’s ‘Geology of New York’ bent my brain and makes my local hikes, kayaking, and years of rock-climbing even more stunning. Peekskill lies at the intersection of many disparate geological periods going back a billion years, the remnants still visible today. To think that we would have been underneath at least ten stories of solid ice 100,000 years ago, or that the Hudson River Valley, the only place where the sea penetrates through the Appalachian chain, was once a valley as deep as the Grand Canyon, and that our local mountains are just the tiny stumps left after a billion years of erosion, well… it’s rather humbling isn’t it? ”
(Stop at Peekskill Coffee House right around the corner or the Bean Runner Café.)
By-the-Dam-Book: Take five steps up to a surprising book collection.
4 Old Post Road
Croton-on-Hudson
Andy DeRado, Owner: “Along with owning the bookstore, I’m also an adjunct professor with a master’s in fiction writing. And while I have a good deal of interests (I was a double acting/history major in my undergrad days), I am endlessly fascinated with Revolutionary War history, particularly down here in the Hudson Valley. But I think historical fiction can be just as powerful a tool to connect with a time and place in ways that feel, frankly, fun. There’s a whole world of fiction for kids in different times and places; it’s important not to lose that sense of exploration as an adult, too. Historical fiction places the reader in more mundane situations and asks the characters to solve problems (large and small) in a way we might not be used to. How did a person get dinner in the Hudson Valley in 1779? How did a partner smooth over an argument in Ancient Greece? What do we do with this dog that followed us home…in tenth century China? And in that way, we learn more about ourselves.”
“One example of historical fiction I’m happy to recommend was written by a local Croton author and set in 1918 New York State—–King Nyx by Kirsten Bakis.”
(Enter the bookstore through the Black Cow Coffee Company.)
Picture Book: Guiding young minds in the world of art and portraiture.
145 Palisade St., Suite 200
Dobbs Ferry
Sara Davidson, Owner: “My career before the bookshop was in the contemporary art world (art galleries, auction house, and a publishing company owned by Pace Gallery), leading me to focus on both beautiful art monographs and children’s books with compelling illustrations as the signature of my shop. Engage with American history with: ‘Amy Sherald: American Sublime,’ edited by Sarah Roberts – the exhibition catalogue for the famed American figurative painter of First Lady Michelle Obama’s official portrait. This beautiful book shows Sherald’s method of selecting individuals she meets on the street and using facial expression, body language, and clothing choices to create paintings that transcend portraiture and expand the canon of American art.”
“ ‘An Indigenous Present’ edited with an introduction by an artist of Cherokee descent, Jeffrey Gibson, gathers more than 60 Native North American contemporary artists, musicians, filmmakers, choreographers, architects, writers, photographers, designers and more around the issues of connection, influence, conversation and collaboration. ‘A History of Fashion for Kids’ by Celia Joicey and Dennis Nothdruft, illustrated by Rose Blake, is a fun way to engage with history (American and global) through the arts. Local author Bob McKinnon recently published two picture books: ‘America’s Dreaming’ and ‘America Gives Thanks’ featuring a child named America who navigates their first day at a new school and a field trip to Washington, D.C., with the help and inspiration of important historical American figures like Amelia Earhart, Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther King Jr., and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Local author Veera Hiranandani wrote the moving ‘Many Things at Once,’ a picture book that dives into the story of the author’s heritage from each of her parent’s sides of history, from Pakistan and Brooklyn to meeting in Poughkeepsie, forming her unique American story.” (Stop at the onsite Boxing Day Café for coffee or signature lattes.”
Wouldn’t Mr. Franklin be pleased to know that we have taken his example to heart…books and coffee…to engage minds and build communities in this nation of ours?
