This month marks the fourth anniversary of working with our favorite storyteller, Mr. Eden at Bookmans Phoenix. Eden came to us through the Phoenix Public Library in 2013 and it’s been a perfect match ever since. In addition to hosting Story Garden: Grow With Books every Wednesday morning from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Eden joins us for special events ranging from friendship dance parties to Tolkien Reading Days to Polar Express story times. Bookmans is partnering with Eden through the Early Literacy Outreach Team funded by Phoenix Public Library and First Things First, two organizations that extend love of reading, literacy and well-being to our local community. Eden brings many years of experience in promoting the arts, healthy living, literacy and community involvement to Bookmans. We are definitely big fans of his!

Eden grew up in Pittsburgh, PA where he cultivated an interest for the science of cities. After graduating from Rutgers University in New Jersey with a degree in Urban Studies, Eden returned to Pittsburgh to make a difference in his hometown. “I’ve always been fascinated in civic energy,” he explains. “I love making connections and creating pathways.” Uniting his love for reading and spark for urban activism, Eden worked as a children’s librarian for many years. “As a librarian, I had the opportunity to work with a mobile library, bringing books to families in different housing communities around Pittsburgh. It was a really rewarding experience,” says Eden. Not only is Eden steeped in the literary world, he is also a successful visual artist. He brings his love of fine art, music and literature into his storytelling program.

Storytellers Eden and Mavis (above) brought down the house with some Tolkien classics at our Shindig in the Shire event!

Each Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., we invite parents and kids to hang out, have a great time, and let their imaginations run wild with stories and songs. We’re honored to have had Eden as our featured storyteller for all these years and we’re looking forward to the upcoming fall season. We’ll see you on Wednesday!