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Matthew and Kelsey McAfee at their Mother Road Market popup shop
Published 09/26/2019 | Reading Time 1 min 20 sec
By Kristi Eaton
Matthew and Kelsey McAfee have a love for reading, and they want to bring that love to the children of Tulsa.
Matthew and Kelsey — graduates of ORU and TU, respectively, — are starting a new bookstore called Eleanor’s Bookshop. It will carry books that are inclusive and open children’s eyes to other perspectives. The couple, who met at Edison as teachers, want to make reading more accessible to all children in Tulsa.
They are currently in the running for a storefront along historic Route 66 as part of a new retail development from the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation and Mother Road Market called The SHOPS.
Eleanor’s Bookshop is one of 10 finalists, and each finalist will hold a pop-up shop to build momentum for their endeavor. Eleanor’s Bookshop will hold its pop-up shop today, Thursday, Sept. 26, and invites the public to come out and show their support for children’s literacy.
“Mother Road Market is a very approachable environment for all Tulsans, and we envision Eleanor’s Bookshop as an inviting place as well,” Matthew McAfee says of taking part in the competition. Winners will be selected based on a variety of criteria, including sales and public support.
Shamiel Gary a local Tulsan and Booker T. Washington High School and Oklahoma State University alum.
“This book is really neat just because it’s by a Tulsan. I think that one of the reasons why reading is exciting for kids is because it can also get them into writing. And to see a local Tulsan come out and produce a book, I think it just makes it that more accessible to say hey I can do this, too.” Kelsey McAfee explained.
The pop-up shop will include books written by local author and football standout Shamiel Gary.
“We are offering a wide range of books for kids, including those by local authors like Shamiel,” Kelsey McAfee says. “We love Tulsa and the people in the community and want to highlight those making positive change.”
Kristi Eaton is a journalist based in Oklahoma City. A native of Tulsa, she lived in Arizona, Italy, Saipan and South Dakota before returning to Oklahoma. She holds a bachelor of arts in journalism from Arizona State University. Her stories have been published in the Washington Post, the Miami Herald, the San Francisco Chronicle and more.