Local boys turns his passion into profits

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - If you’re looking for a local shop to support this holiday season, you may want to consider Golden Owl Bookshop. It’s a mobile bookstore, and the creative mind behind it can’t even drive yet.

Owning a bookstore wasn’t even on Alexandria McClelland’s radar until a few years ago when her now 12-year-old son, Broden, came up with an idea. Already fueled by a love of books, Broden decided he wanted to open a mobile bookstore. He was inspired by a book he read and wanted to share his passion with other.

“Owning a bookstore isn’t something that you do to make it rich,” McClelland said “It’s purely a business of passion and love and that’s all the things that drive it.”

At first McClelland thought this idea from Broden may be forgotten in a few days. But it wasn’t, so instead she decided to use it as a learning opportunity to teach Broden about what it takes to come up with and idea and then follow it through.

“You know, we’ll give it a shot, and if it doesn’t work out, then we have a lot of books to read!” McClelland said.

It appears, that isn’t too much of a concern. Six months into being open, Golden Owl Bookshop has become a hidden gem for book lovers.

“I guess I never anticipated that everyone would be so excited about it. And I’ve actually been really encouraged that there are so many people that still want physical books.”

And Broden is learning some valuable lessons. He didn’t just come up with the idea and leave the work to his mom. Broden can be found behind the cash register almost every weekend helping out.

“It is a job, but it doesn’t feel like a job because it’s fun,” he said.

McClelland says she has seen a lot of growth in Broden. Working the business has taught him independence and a strong work ethic.

So why shop Golden Owl Bookshop for Christmas?

“Because books are like the best gift anybody could have,” Broden said. “Because you get to read them, and you get to imagine the characters, and it expands your creativity, and you get to just live in this whole other world.”

There are gifts for all ages, from toddlers to adults. There are even some perfect gifts to fill out that Christmas stocking.

“We’ve got tiny books, we’ve got pencils, we have bookmarks, like all that kind of stuff that would be perfect for stocking stuffer,” McClelland said.

The business may not be a year old yet, but Broden is looking to the future. If he had his way, this could be the start of a Golden Owl empire.

 “Yeah, hopefully at least three trucks,” he said.

Golden Owl Bookshop pops up at various locations on the weekends. For their weekly schedule, check them out on Facebook.

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