Wimpy Kid #10 goes “Old School” with cover reveal

Indie bookselling may be financially risky, but Kinney has planned the nearly 3,000-sq.-ft. bookstore and cafe carefully. And he’s had a chance to observe many stores firsthand on his book tours. “An Unlikely Story allows me to play with the truth,” Kinney says, explaining the store’s name. “We’re going to have fun with fables and tall tales.” That includes a replica of a Quidditch match above the children’s section, and books that appear to be flying overhead elsewhere in the store.

During the construction, Kinney has been visiting the store at least twice a day. “It gives me a sense of satisfaction,” he says. Even more satisfying is the opportunity to bring a bookstore to his community, after so many new bookstores have closed, including one where he grew up in Fort Washington, Md. “When I was a kid, we had a bookstore in my town that sold new books and magazines. I visited a few times a week, and the books I purchased there had a huge impact on my life,” Kinney says. “And then one day, the bookstore was gone and a valuable asset to the community was lost.”